/ \ r ' 

/ 

1 

"S. 

PRINCETON,  N.  J. 

Purchased  by  the  Hammill  Missionary 

Fund. 

Division  S Ar  1.  S 

Section  • ^5 

Number . 

Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2016 


https://archive.org/details/womanstalksaboutOObrit  • 


(L;ur.<i  about  mtoui. — ^rontispuce. 


A VillM^e  in  Itulia. 


A 


WOMAN’S  TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA 


“KARDOO,”  ‘^SHOSHIE,”  “SCEXES  of  every  day  life  in  AFRICA,”  ETC 


UEVISKU  FOR  THE  COMMITTEE  OF  rUBLICATlON. 


PHILADELPHIA: 

American  Sunday-School  Union, 
No.  1122  Chestnut  Stkeet. 

New  York:  S and  10  Bible  House,  Astok  Plaor. 
rHicAoo:  7.1  Randolph  St. 


THE  DOMESTIC  HABITS  AND  CUSTOMS 
OF  THE  PEOPLE. 


\ 


HARRIET  L.  .5RITTAN, 


AUTHOE  OF 


Entered  ticcordinij  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1880,  by  the 
AMERICAN  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  UNION, 

In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 


CONTENTS. 


Preface, 3 

Chap.  I. — Extent,  Population,  &c.,  of  In- 
dia,   9 

“ II. — Life  at  Madras,  ...  17 

“ III. — Calcutta  and  Climate  of  India,  46 

“ IV. — Homes  and  Home  Experiences,  . 55 

“ V. — Shopping  and  Servants,  . . 82 

“ VI. — Marriages  and  Weddings,  . 102 

“ VII. — Animals  and  Insects,  . . 112 

“ VIII. — Churuck  Poo.ta,  or  Hook-swing- 
ing,   130 

“ IX. — Religion,  “ Holy  Men,”  and  Fes- 
tivals,   148 

“ X. — A Cyclone, 172 

“ XL — Brahmins  and  Caste,  . . . 180 

“ XII. — Superstitions,  ....  192 

“ XIII. — The  Sacred  Ganges,  . . . 203 

Index,  ...  . 211 


TO  THK 


TOUI^G  FRIENDS  OF  MISSIONS 

IN  AMERICA. 


The  kind  reception  given  to  a former  little 
book  of  mine  has  encouraged  me  to  prepare 
this  one.  If  it  likewise  is  welcomed,  I may 
write  another  of  a similar  character,  giving 
further  experiences  in  heathen  lands  not  usually 
found  in  works  relating  to  missions. 

When  you  go  to  a foreign  land,  it  takes  a 
long  time  to  learn  the  peculiar  ways  and  habits 
of  the  people ; unless,  indeed,  you  read  many 
books  on  these  subjects.  My  object  in  this 
volume  is  to  tell  you  what  I have  seen  in 
India,  and  not  what  others  have  said  or  written 
about  it ; though  I shaU  now  and  then  do  this. 


Vni  TO  THE  YOUXG  FRIEXDS  OF  MISEWXSl. 

when  they  describe  customs  or  things  like  those 
I have  witnessed. 

I trust  that  the  more  you  learn  of  heathen 
lands,  the  more  grateful  you  will  be  for  the 
blessings  you  possess,  and  the  more  earnest 
you  will  become  in  your  efforts  to  send  similar 
blessings  to  these  dark  lands. 

That  this  book  may  aid  in  accomplishing 
this  end  is  the  sincere  prayer  of  your  friend, 

Harriet  G.  Brittan. 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


CHAPTER  FIRST. 

EXTENT,  POPULATION,  RELIGION,  AND  CASTES  OF  INDIA. 

IN  these  clays,  when  steam  navigation  and 
the  telegraph  are  bringing  the  most  distant 
parts  of  the  earth  so  close  together  that 
those  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  globe  are 
becoming  our  neighbors,  we  should  take  every 
opportunity  to  improve  our  acquaintance  with 
the  people,  their  manners,  habits,  and  customs. 

Come  with  me,  then,  as  we  start  on  our  first 
voyage  to  India.  As  we  have  a very  long 
journey  before  us,  let  us  freshen  our  memories 
with  regard  to  the  land  to  which  we  are  bound. 
Many  persons  have  very  vague  ideas  concern- 
ing India.  They  think  it  is  a very  large  coun- 
try, intensely  hot,  where  the  people  are  all 


10 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


heathens  and  in  a state  of  semi-harharism, 
where  there  are  immense  jungles  full  of  ele- 
phants, tigers,  and  snakes.  This  is  about  all 
they  know  of  that  country. 

Now  let  us  examine  it  more  closely.  It  is 
truly  a very  large  country ; so  large  that,  like 
our  own  United  States,  it  has  every  variety  of 
temperature  and  climate,  from  the  intense  heat 
of  the  torrid  zone  under  the  equator  to  the 
regions  of  perpetual  snow  in  the  Himalaya 
Mountains.  The  inhabitants  of  India,  unlike 
those  of  China  and  Japan,  are  not  one  people, 
under  one  rule,  with  one  language  and  one  set 
of  customs,  habits,  and  religion.  India  resem- 
bles a vast  continent  inhabited  by  a number  of 
different  nations  and  peoples,  composing  one- 
sixth  of  the  population  of  the  whole  world. 
One  portion  of  these  are  Mohammedans ; the 
rest,  though  mostly  heathen  or  idolaters,  are 
as  varied  in  their  customs  and  modes  of  wor- 
ship and  languages  as  are  the  different  nations 
of  Europe.  Now  we  should  think  a traveller 
very  inaccurate  who  described  the  religious 
rites,  ceremonies,  social  customs,  and  habits  of 
Russia  or  of  Wales,  and  then  should  say  that 


CUST031S  AND  HABITS. 


11 


those  were  the  customs  and  habits  alike  of 
Europe.  Therefore,  travellers  in  India  should 
be  careful  to  say,  they  do  thus  and  so  in  Bom- 
bay or  in  Bengal  (different  parts  of  India),  in- 
stead of  saying,  they  do  so  in  India,  leaving 
the  reader  to  suppose  that  such  is  the  custom 
all  over  that  vast  country,  when  it  probably  is 
confined  to  one  part  only. 

There  are  thirty-six  distinct  spoken  lan- 
guages in  India ; and  wherever  you  find  a dis- 
tinct spoken  language,  there  you  will  find  the 
customs,  both  social  and  religious,  distinct  also. 
Some  tribes  are  in  a state  of  almost  total  barba- 
rism, others  again  in  a high  state  of  civilization. 
The  Mohammedans,  about  five  hundred  years 
ago,  conquered  a large  portion  of  India*,  and  it 
is  that  part  chiefly  that  is  now  under  British 
rule.  Many  large  tracts  are,  however,  yet 
under  the  rule  of  their  petty  kings  or  rajahs, 
whilst  others  hold  their  possessions  partially 
tributary  to  the  English. 

Thus,  you  will  find,  there  are  a great  variety 
of  peoples  in  India ; and  even  in  the  same  sect- 
ion, the  caste  system  which  prevails  almost 
everywhere  makes  a marked  distinction  be- 


12 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


tween  people  of  the  same  tribe ; and  as  no  man 
can  ever  change  his  caste,  hut  must  always  con- 
tinue the  same  as  his  ancestors  have  been,  this 
distinction  between  the  barbarous  and  refined 
has  continued  from  age  to  aa’e. 

The  Mohammedan  invasion  brought  with  it 
some  improvements  in  architecture,  but  little 
or  no  beneficial  results  in  anything  else ; cer- 
tainly not  in  morals.  The  East  India  Com- 
pany’s government  Avas  very  little  better. 
Under  that  rule  men  Avent  out  to  enrich  them- 
selves, not  to  benefit  India;  and  it  Avas  a proA"- 
erb  among  the  Hindoos  before  the  mutiny, 
“ If  every  Englishman  left  India,  they  Avould 
leave  no  traces  behind  to  mark  that  they  had 
been  here  but  piles  of  empty  bottles.”  Since 
the  days  of  the  mutiny,  noAV  over  twenty  years 
ago,  things  have  much  changed.  The  East 
India  Company  has  been  abolished ; the  Queen 
has  ruled  India  through  her  viceroys ; and 
much  has  been  done  for  the  improvement  of 
the  condition  of  the  country  and  its  inhabit- 
ants, though  still  much,  very  much,  remains 
to  be  done.  Good  roads,  bridges,  railroads, 
and  telegraphs  are  becoming  common  in  all 


XAME  OF  THE  COUNTRY. 


13 


l^arts  of  Iiulia;  and  sights,  scones,  and  places, 
once  entirely  closed  against  the  so-called  “ pol- 
luted ” Christian,  are  now  rpiite  familiar  to  the 
western  traveller,  none  daring,  with  a few  rare 
exceptions,  to  forbid  his  going  where  he  pleases. 

The  name  of  this  country  (India)  was  given 
to  it  by  the  Persians,  Greeks,  and  Romans. 
It  was  so  called  after  the  Indus,  one  of  its 
largest  rivers.  In  the  Sanscrit,  the  most 
ancient  language  of  the  country,  it  is  known  as 
Bharat r India  is  also  often  called  Hindu- 
stan, or  IIindoostan,in  America  and  Europe ; but 
Europeans  living  in  that  country,  and  natives, 
use  this  name  to  designate  that  portion  only  of 
India  which  lies  north  of  the  river  Nerbuddah 
or  its  latitude,  except,  perhaps,  Bengal.  Hin- 
dustan is  derived  from  two  Persian  words — 
Hindu,  blacks,  and  sian,  place  or  region,  and 
hence  means  “country  of  the  blacks.”  The 
extreme  length  of  India,  from  Cape  Comorin 
to  the  northern  limit,  is  nearly  two  thousand 
miles,  and  its  extreme  breadth,  from  the  Indus 
to  the  Brahmapootra,  is  upward  of  fifteen  hun- 
dred miles.  It  covers  an  area  of  1,360,000 
square  miles,  or  greater  than  that  of  all  the 


14 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


United  States  east  of  the  Mississippi  Uiver ; 
and  its  population  is  estimated  at  about 
175,000,000.  The  whole  of  India  may  be 
divided  into  six  natural  physical  divisions ; 
1.  The  great  mountain  chain,  on  the  north, 
known  as  the  Himalaya,  the  highest  mountains 
in  the  world.  2.  The  valley  of  the  Indus,  on 
the  west,  including  the  Punjaub,  or  the  “coun- 
try of  the  five  rivers.”  A part  of  this  valley 
or  plain,  south  of  the  Punjaub,  is  a sandy 
desert,  called  the  desert  of  Scinde.  3.  The 
plain  of  the  Ganges,  on  the  east,  which  includes 
the  most  fertile,  best  cultivated,  richest,  and 
most  pof)ulous  portion  of  all  India.  The  city 
of  Calcutta  is  in  this  district.  4.  The  high- 
lands of  northern  India,  a triangular  region, 
whose  base  is  among  the  Vindhya  Mountains, 
and  its  apex  near  the  noted  city  of  Delhi. 
5.  The  Deccan,  a term  originally  applied  to 
the  whole  of  India  south  of  the  Nerhuddah 
River,  but  later  only  to  that  portion  between 
the  Nerhuddah  on  the  north  and  Kishnah  on  the 
south,  a tableland,  some  portions  of  which  are 
twenty-five  hundred  feet  above  the  sea  level. 
Within  this  district  was  the  famous  kingdom 


LANGUAGES. 


15 


of  Golconda,  so  noted  for  its  trade  in  diamonds. 
In  this  division  lies  the  city  of  Bombay. 
6.  Southern  India,  including  the  great  city  of 
Madras.  This  comprises  the  warmest  parts  of 
the  country,  and  is  celebrated  for  its  tropical 
fruits.  India  has  three  rivers,  each  of  which 
exceeds  two  thousand  miles  in  length — the 
Indus,  Ganges,  and  Brahmapootra — and  three 
or  four  others  of  about  a thousand  miles  each, 
from  their  mouths  to  their  sources.  The  Eng- 
lish government  has  extended  its  sway  over 
most  of  India,  and  controls  it  from  the  three 
great  commercial  centres  of  Calcutta,  Madras, 
and  Bombay. 

Among  the  more  important  of  the  many  lan- 
guages of  India  is  the  Sanscrit,  once  a spoken 
tongue,  but  now  a dead  language  like  the  classic 
Greek  and  Latin.  All  the  sacred  books  and 
ancient  literature  of  the  Hindoos  are  written  in 
this  tongue,  and  a knowledge  of  this  language 
is  a necessary  part  of  the  education  of  all  well- 
trained  Brahmins.  Besides  the  Sanscrit  are 
the  Tamil,  the  Teloogoo,  the  Mahrathi,  the 
Bengali,  the  Hindi,  the  Sindhi,  the  Panjaubi, 
the  Hindustani,  and  many  others  less  known 


16 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


to  American  readers.'^  Originally  and  theoreti- 
cally there  were  four  great  ranks  or  castes  : the 
Brahmins  or  priests,  the  Kshatruyas  or  war- 
riors, the  Vaisyas  or  traders,  and  the  Shudras 
or  servants.  The  second  and  third,  as  pure 
castes,  are  now  held  by  the  Brahmins  to  be  ex- 
tinct. The  other  castes  have,  however,  been 
broken  up  into  a great  number  of  mixed  ranks 
or  castes  of  various  kinds.  The  Brahmins  are 
estimated  at  10,000,000  or  12,000,000 ; they 
hold  most  of  the  offices,  act  as  soldiers,  and 
hold  that  it  is  lawful  to  engage  in  any  of  the 
occupations  of  lower  and  mixed  castes,  but  if 
one  eats  with  or  touches  certain  food  of  the 
other  classes,  even  accidentally,  he  forfeits  his 
caste,  and  becomes  an  outcast. 


* The  modern  Aryan  languages  of  India,  according  to 
recent  authorities,  are  besides  the  Sanscrit  seven  in  number, 
viz. : Sindhi,  Panjaubi,  Mabrathi,  Guzerati,  Hindi,  Oriya, 
and  Bengali.  The  Dravidian  family  of  languages  consists  of 
Tamil,  Teloogoo,  Canarese,  Malayalam,  Tooloo,  Coorg,  Tooda. 
Gond,  Ku  or  Koo,  Rajmahal,  and  Oraon. 


Calks  about  |nbia. 


A Palanquin. 


p.  23. 


CHAPTER  SECOND. 


LIFE  AT  MADRAS. 


ATAMARANS. — Our  ship  dropped  an- 


chor about  two  miles  from  the  shore  at 
Madras,  as  the  surf  is  so  high  that  it  is  dan- 
gerous for  vessels  to  approach  any  nearer.  A 
sudden  breeze  springing  up  might  dash  the 
ship  on  shore,  where  she  would  be  very  quickly 
broken  in  pieces  by  the  force  of  the  waves.  A 
sudden  storm  often  arises,  and  ships  that  are  at 
anchor  must  weigh  anchor  and  put  out  again  to 
sea,  sometimes  even  for  days,  to  escape  being 
wrecked.  The  English  government  has  for 
years  been  at  work  trying  to  build  a break- 
water and  a pier  for  the  landing  of  goods  and 
passengers,  but  these  are  almost  useless.  Al- 
ready many  thousand  pounds  have  been  spent 
in  the  work,  and  years  of  labor,  but  the  most 
experienced  captains  have  no  faith  that  it  will 
ever  be  of  much  service.  No  sooner  had  our 
ship  dropped  anchor  than  we  were  surrounded 


18 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


by  a number  of  little  katamarans.  These  are 
most  singular  little  boats.  They  are  generally 
composed  of  three  logs  of  wood,  fastened  to- 
gether, flattened  at  the  upper  side,  and  slightly 
scooped  out,  and  the  ends  bent  up  a little  like 
a snow-shoe.  On  this  these  natives  generally 
sit,  with  a large  basket  containing  fish,  shells, 
cocoa-nuts,  and  the  like,  which  they  bring  for 
sale.  The  two  men  at  either  end  propel  the 
boat  by  paddling ; the  one  in  the  centre  fishes, 
or  takes  care  of  the  fish  when  caught.  They 
kneel  on  this  queer  little  raft,  sitting  back  on 
their  heels,  the  water  washing  completely 
over  their  frail  bark  and  their  lower  limbs  at 
every  stroke ; and  the  slightest  overbalancing 
would  submerge  them  instantly  in  the  water. 
This  seldom  occurs,  however,  and  when  it  does 
it  is  a matter  of  no  consequence,  except  the 
loss  of  their  fish,  as  they  are  just  like  ducks  in 
the  water,  and  have  no  clothing  to  be  spoilt, 
as  they  wear  nothing  but  a small  strip  of  cloth 
around  their  loins.  In  an  instant  they  right 
their  little  boat  and  mount  it  again.  Numbers 
of  these  boats  surrounded  the  ship,  and  the 
natives  on  them  made  loud  cries,  scolding  and 


NATIVE  BOATS. 


19 


wrangling — for  they  can  do  nothing  without  a 
great  noise — trying  to  sell  their  fish  to  the  cap- 
tain, These  men  were  fully  as  dark  as  negroes, 
only  they  had  straight  black  hair,  aquiline 
noses,  and  thin  lips. 

Masoolie  Boats. — In  a few  moments  we 
saw  six  boats  of  another  kind  coming  towards 
us.  Each  one  was  propelled  by  ten  or  twelve 
oarsmen,  with  a man  at  “^he  stern  to  steer. 
These  were  the  masoolie,  or  ‘‘  surf  boats,”  by 
which  everything,  including  passengers,  is 
landed  from,  and  brought  to,  vessels.  They 
are  very  curious-looking  boats,  the  sides  rising 
from  six  to  eight  feet  above  the  surface  of  the 
water,  and  the  boards  of  which  they  are  con- 
structed are  not  nailed  or  screwed,  but  sewed 
together  with  a species  of  cane,  and  the  inter- 
stices calked  with  straw,  hemp,  and  cocoa-nut 
fibres.  No  common  boats  would  stand  the 
pressure  of  the  surf,  but  these  are  more  elastic. 
They  look  very  dangerous,  as  they  are  tossed 
up  and  down  by  the  furious  boiling  of  the  surf 
waives ; but  the  natives  are  very  skillful  in 
managing  them,  and  it  is  seldom  that  an  acci- 
dent occurs,  except  in  a severe  storm.  The 


2U 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


steersman  watches  with  a keen  eye,  and  gives 
the  word  of  command  to  the  men  at  the  oars, 
so  as  to  take  the  greatest  advantage  of  the 
rolling  in  and  out  of  these  big  waves,  one  of 
which  will  sometimes  land  you  high  and  dry 
on  the  beach  ; but  it  is  done  with  so  much  shout- 
ing, screaming,  and  gesturing,  that  it  strikes 
you  at  first  with  the  greatest  alarm.  And  in 
fact  no  one  would  ever  wish  to  land  at  Madras 
merely  for  the  pleasure  of  the  trip  to  the 
shore. 

Hard  Beds. — I had  expected  to  enjoy  my 
first  night’s  sleep  on  shore  very  much,  but 
was  disappointed.  I suppose  excitement,  the 
strangeness  of  the  place,  and  above  and  beyond 
all,  the  excessive  hardness  of  the  bed  and  pil- 
low, made  it  impossible  for  me  to  get  any  rest. 
These  hard  beds  and  pillows  are  the  fashion 
in  India.  The  hardest  square  pillow  on  an 
old-fashioned  hair-cloth  sofa  is  beautifully  soft 
compared  with  most  of  the  pillows  there.  I 
suppose  these  pillows  are  to  secure  coolness ; 
but  I never  could  get  used  to  them ; and  always, 
wherever  I went  in  India,  if  I wanted  to  get  a 
night’s  rest,  I carried  my  pillow  with  me ; and  I 


MORNING  SOUNDS. 


21 


would  advise  all  travellers  from  this  land  to  do 
the  same.  Just  at  daybreak  I was  falling  into 
a doze,  when  I was  aroused  by  a peculiar  sound, 
which,  after  listening  attentively,  I was  sure 
must  be  the  note  of  a bird.  It  was  a prolonged 
“ keer,  keer,”  not  a shrill  sound,  but  peculiarly 
soft  and  soothing.  I found  afterwards  that  it 
Avas  the  note  of  a species  of  small  kite,  of  pecul- 
iar beauty,  called  the  Brahmin  kite,  from  its 
superiority  in  appearance  to  all  other  species 
of  kites. 

CiiOTA  IIadjeree,  or  “ Little  Breakfast.” — I 
was  just  getting  into  a doze  again  when  I heard  a 
low  sound  hissed  into  my  ear,  “ Ma’am  Sahib  !” 
I started  up  in  my  bed  with  a loud  cry  of  fright, 
when  a voice  said,  “ It  only  I,  Ma’am  Sahib 
(madam) . I bring  your  coffee.  I ayah”  (waiting- 
Avoman).  And  I saw  a dusky  form  clothed  in 
Avhite,  Avith  a nice  little  tray,  on  Avhich  was  a cup 
of  coffee  and  a sKce  of  toast.  She  repeated,  “ 1 
bring  your  chota  hadjeree,  Ma’am  Sahib,”  and 
laying  the  tray  on  the  bed,  she  disappeared. 
All  over  India  this  is  the  invariable  custom,  to 
have  a slice  of  toast  and  a cup  of  tea  or  coffee 
In’ought  to  your  room  before  you  leave  it,  as  it 


22 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


is  considered  very  injurious  to  breathe  the 
morning  air  upon  an  empty  stomach,  and  the 
general  hreakhist  in  most  families  is  never 
served  before  nine  o’clock,  more  frequently  at 
ten  or  eleven. 

Ghosts. — I never  could  get  over  the  nervous 
feeling  I always  had  at  the  ghost-like  appear- 
ance of  the  native  servants  in  India.  Though 
there  are  doors  to  the  rooms,  they  are  seldom 
closed  ; and  curtains,  or  “ purdahs,”  about  six 
feet  in  length,  are  hung  in  the  doorways,  for 
the  purpose  of  allowing  a current  of  air  to  pass 
above  them  from  one  room  to  the  other.  Conse- 
quently the  native  servants,  going  barefooted,  as 
they  always  do,  can  slide  in  and  out  under  the 
curtains  without  there  being  the  noise  of  any 
door  to  open  or  shut.  I have  frequently  been 
alone  in  my  sitting-room,  working,  writing,  or 
reading,  with  everything  perfectly  still  around 
me,  when  suddenly  I would  hear  close  at  my 
elbow  a deep  gruff  voice  saying,  “Ma’am  Sahib.” 
I would  turn  with  a half  shriek,  and  see  before 
me  a tall,  ghastly  figure,  enveloped  from  head 
to  foot  in  a white  sheet,  with  only  a very 
small  part  of  a dark  face  peeping  out;  for 


Calhs  about  ^nbia 


A Palkee  Ghang,  or  Indian  carriage.  p.  23. 


PUBLIC  CONVEYANCES. 


23 


in  the  cool  season,  in  the  evening,  they  cover 
themselves  up  thus  completely  in  a sheet.  In 
all  the  years  I was  in  India  I never  could 
overcome  the  start  this  apparition  would  give 
me. 

Ghangs. — One  thing  that  struck  me  very 
comically  in  Madras  was  the  conveyance  called 
the  palky  ghang.  This  is  common  all  over 
India,  indeed  is  the  most  general  means  of 
conveyance.  The  palky  is  a black  box,  about 
six  feet  long,  three  feet  high,  and  two  and  a 
half  feet  broad,  which,  instead  of  opening  at 
the  top,  opens  at  either  side  Avith  sliding  doors. 
It  has  a thin  cushion  inside,  and  you  can  either 
sit  up  or  lie  down  inside.  A pole  projects 
from  each  end,  and  four  persons  carry  this  on 
their  shoulders,  two  at  either  end.  A palky 
ghang  is  one  of  these,  minus  the  poles,  set  on 
wheels,  with  a box  in  front  for  the  driver,  and 
a box  in  the  centre  for  you  to  put  your  feet  in, 
instead  of  lying  down.  These  conveyances 
are  intended  for  two  persons  sitting  vis-a-vis^ 
but  sometimes  four  can  crowd  in.  They  are 
classed  as  first,  second,  and  third  class,  and  the 
price  and  respectability  of  them  varies,  of 


24 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


course,  according  to  the  class.  An  accurate 
description  of  the  latter  can  hardly  he  made. 
It  is  the  most  crazy,  rickety  machine  you  ever 
saw,  looking  as  if  it  would  fall  to  pieces  or 
totter  over  every  instant.  Every  vestige  of 
paint  is  worn  off,  and  the  wood  is  all  blistered 
bv  the  sun.  The  sliding  doors  are  either 
pushed  completely  hack  or  have  slid  away 
altogether.  Within  you  see  four  dusky,  almost 
black  figures, — for  the  lower  class  are  very 
dark  ; they  are  nearly  nude,  for  the  only  gar- 
ment worn  by  them  is  a strip  of  cloth  wrapped 
round  them,  and  descending  from  the  waist  to 
the  knees.  This  is  of  cotton  cloth,  which  was 
white  once,  hut  now  is  hardly  distinguishable 
in  color  from  the  form  which  it  enfolds ; while 
projecting  from  the  place  where  the  doors 
should  be  you  perceive  four  long,  lean  black 
legs  in  most  grotesque  positions.  This  vehicle 
is  drawn  by  one  or  two  native  horses  of  a small 
species,  not  much  larger  than  ponies,  and  which 
appear  to  be  in  the  last  stages  of  consumption, 
having  been  educated  in  the  school  of  that 
man  who  taught  his  horse  to  live  upon  one 
straw  a day.  They  are  fastened  to  the  ghang 


DRIVERS  AND  BEASTS. 


25 


by  ropes,  rotten  and  dirty,  tied  together  with 
many  knots  and  pieces  of  twine;  and  the  ‘‘jehu” 
is  mounted  on  a broken  box,  from  which  you 
fear  he  will  fall  every  moment.  He  is  generally 
a youngster  from  fourteen  to  sixteen  years  of 
age ; his  costume  is  pretty  much  the  same  as 
that  of  those  he  drives,  except  being,  if  pos- 
sible, a shade  dirtier  and  more  ragged ; his 
hair — he  wears  no  head-gear — is  sticking  out 
all  round  his  head,  thick  with  filth ; and  in  his 
hand  he  holds  a long  bamboo  cane,  with  which 
he  keeps  striking  the  poor  beasts  all  the  time, 
kicking  his  feet  to  keep  time  with  his  arms, 
and  constantly  shouting  and  screaming  most 
vociferously  either  at  his  horses  or  at  his  fel- 
lows whom  he  meets.  It  is  altogether  such  a 
turnout  as  would  attract  thousands  of  specta- 
tors in  any  of  our  cities ; but  you  see  it  all  over 
India. 

Rubbing  with  Oil. — One  reason  why  the 
natives  are  so  black  is  this  : when  an  infant  is 
born  it  is  rubbed  all  over  with  mustard  oil,  a 
very  dark  oil,  and  is  laid  in  the  sun  to  dry,  and 
this  is  done  every  day  till  the  child  is  a month 
old;  and  among  the  poorer  classes  they  con- 

3 


1^6 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


tiime  to  do  this  in  the  cold  season  to  keep 
them  warm. 

New  Year’s  Customs. — They  have  a pretty 
custom  here  on  New  Year’s  day.  The  natives 
go  and  see  their  friends,  taking  with  them  a 
lime  and  a wreath  of  yellow  flowers  ; sometimes 
they  gild  the  lime.  There  is  an  old  Tamil 
proverb  that  a lime  is  the  most  acceptable 
present  for  a rajah,  and  the  yellow  flowers, 
being  the  color  of  gold,  are  therefore  the  most 
valuable.  The  man  will  throw  the  wreath  over 
your  head  round  your  neck,  make  a most  pro- 
found salaam,  and  depart. 

Toddy. — One  day  I w^ent  wdth  Mr.  H.  to  see 
a native  temple  a few  miles  outside  of  the  city. 
On  our  way  we  passed  a large  cocoa-nut  grove, 
which  w’as  used  not  to  obtain  fmit,  but  for  the 
manufacture  of  toddy.  Getting  out  of  the  car- 
riage, we  went  into  the  grove,  while  Mr.  H. 
explained  the  process.  The  toddy  is  used  as 
we  use  yeast  for  raising  bread,  and  after  it  fer- 
ments it  becomes  an  intoxicating  drink.  At 
the  entrance  to  the  grove  we  passed  an  object 
lying  on  the  ground.  I started  back,  for  it 
looked  in  shape  just  like  a dead  body  rolled  in 


®alks  about  Inbia. 


Indian  Toddy  Gatherers. 


p.  2G. 


COCOA-NUT  TODDY. 


27 


a white  sheet  so  that  not  a particle  of  the  body 
was  visible.  I saw  that  Mr.  H.  was  passing  it 
very  unconcernedly,  so  I asked  what  it  w^as. 
“ Oh,”  said  he,  “ it  is  only  a man  asleep ; they 
roll  themselves  up  tight  like  this,  to  prevent 
mosquitoes  and  other  insects  from  attacking 
them,  and  mother  earth  is  the  softest  resting- 
place  they  require.” 

The  process  of  getting  toddy  was  this  : the 
cocoa-nut  tree,  as  you  know,  grows  up  very 
straight  and  tall  without  branches,  but  at  the 
top  there  is  a canopy  of  leaves  or  branches, 
and  directly  under  these  the  nuts  grow  in  clus- 
ters or  bunches.  Just  at  the  season  of  the 
year  when  the  buds  are  starting  to  form  the 
nuts,  a man  ascends  the  tree,  by  what  the  boys 
call  ‘^‘shinning  up,”  peels  the  skin  from  the  top 
of  the  bud,  and  ties  a jar  beneath  it.  The  next 
morning  he  ascends,  finds  the  jar  full  of  liquid, 
peels  off  again  the  fresh  skin  that  has  formed 
in  the  night,  and  tying  a fresh  jar  to  the  spot, 
he  again  leaves  it  for  twenty-four  hours.  This 
tree  of  course  never  produces  fruit,  but  it  will 
continue  thus  to  give  forth  its  sap  for  months. 
This  sap  they  boil  and  get  a coarse  black  sugar 


28 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


from  it,  of  which  they  are  very  fond,  I used 
this  as  an  illustration  once  in  mission  work. 

You  are  aware  that  the  women  of  India  are 
as  ignorant  as  little  children  of  natural  history, 
and  all  the  processes  of  nature.  One  day  I 
was  teaching  in  one  of  my  zenanas,  and  as 
usual,  besides  my  pupils,  there  Avere  a number 
of  other  women  sitting  around,  listening  to  all 
I said.  Amongst  them  w^as  one  with  a very 
bright,  intelligent  countenance,  but  whom  I did 
not  remember  to  have  seen  before.  To  some- 
thing I said  in  my  teaching,  this  woman  called 
out,  “ I won’t  believe  that.  I can’t  understand 
it ; it  is  contrary  to  my  reason,  and  I will  not 
believe  it.”  I replied  : But  there  are  many 

things  that  you  believe,  that  you  cannot  under- 
stand or  explain.”  “No!”  she  exclaimed,  “ I 
Avill  not  believe  anything  that  I cannot  under- 
stand.” For  a minute  or  two  I could  not  think 
of  any  illustration,  so  I told  the  woman  who 
had  been  reading  to  go  on  with  the  lesson. 
Then,  on  looking  up,  I saw  Avhat  I Avanted. 
Over  the  roof  of  the  house,  at  a short  distance 
aAvay,  I saAV  a tall  cocoa-nut  tree  and  a man 
ascending  to  get  the  toddy. 


BELIEVING  AND  UNDERSTANDING.  29 


I started  forward  most  eagerly,  and  pointing 
to  the  tree,  said  : Look  yonder ; what  is  that 

man  doing?”  All  rose  to  look,  and  began  to 
tell  me  about  the  man  going  up  to  get  toddy, 
and  the  woman  I mentioned  was  most  eager  to 
explain.  I looked  at  her  very  earnestly  while 
she  was  talking,  and  when  she  had  finished  I 
pretended  to  be  very  angry,  and  in  a stern 
voice  demanded  of  her  how  she  could  tell  me 
such  an  untruth  ? Did  she  think,  because  I 
was  a stranger  in  the  country,  she  could  so 
impose  on  me  and  tell  me  Avhat  was  utterly 
false?  Then  she  and  all  the  other  wmmen 
were  most  earnest  in  their  reiterations  that  it 
was  true,  indeed  it  was  true.  I replied  : It 

is  not  true ; the  man  deceives  you ; he  never 
can  bring  down  water  from  the  top  of  the  tree, 
and  I will  show  you  how  impossible  it  is.  We 
have  not  had  a drop  of  rain  for  four  months, 
and  if  we  had,  the  rain  would  not  have  settled 
up  in  the  top  of  the  tree ; its  leaves  are  shaped 
like  an  umbrella,  and  the  rain  would  instantly 
fall  down.  Then  you  never  saw  water  run  up 
the  outside  of  a tree  ; water  runs  down,  not  up  ; 
and  if  you  cut  a tree  down  (they  had  recently 


30 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


had  one  cut  down,  and  the  trunk  was  lying 
across  the  court),  you  will  never  find  a drop  of 
water  therein ; it  is  quite  dry.”  Then  looking 
very  hard  at  the  Avonian,  I said : “ I can’t 
understand  it,  I won’t  believe  it,  it  is  contrary 
to  my  reason.”  Immediately  all  the  women 
clapped  their  hands,  burst  out  laughing,  and 
pointing  to  the  woman,  said,  “ Now  you’ve  got 
it,  you’ve  got  it.”  It  was  a most  conclusive 
argument  to  them,  as  they  knew  nothing  of  the 
processes  of  nature  in  generating  sap. 

Temple  near  Madras. — After  leaving  the 
cocoa-nut  grove,  we  rode  off  for  two  or  three 
miles  to  see  one  of  the  largest  temples  in  the 
neighborhood.  A very  high  wall  surrounds  a 
piece  of  ground  of  about  twelve  acres,  in  a 
square  form,  inside  of  which  are  three  temples. 
No  Christian  may  enter  this  enclosure,  as  it  is 
considered  very  sacred.  These  temples  have 
spires  something  like  our  temples,  only  they 
are  larger  around,  and  the  whole  of  the  outside 
of  the  buildings  is  covered  over  with  very  ugly 
and  grotesque  figures,  while  inside  they  have 
sixty-two  gods,  of  which  the  priests  take  great 
care.  Outside  the  wall  is  a very  large  tank. 


IDOL  GODS. 


31 


A tank  is  an  excavation  dug  six  to  twelve 
feet  deep  and  then  walled  round,  to  collect  and 
retain  the  rain,  which  at  one  season  falls  very 
heavily.  This  tank  appears  like  a pretty  little 
lake,  and  in  the  middle  of  it  a small  square 
house  is  built,  open  at  the  sides  like  a summer- 
house. This,  too,  is  profusely  ornamented  with 
grotesque  figures.  Here  two  or  three  times  a 
year,  on  their  grand  feast  days,  the  people 
bring  all  the  gods  out  of  the  temple,  and  give 
them  a washing  and  put  on  their  new  clothes. 
Crowds  of  people  stand  on  the  shore  to  see  this, 
though  no  one  dares  touch  the  water  except 
the  Brahmin  priests.  After  the  gods  are  all 
washed,  the  poor  people  pay  a little  money  to 
the  priests  for  some  of  the  water,  which  they 
then  sprinkle  upon  themselves,  and  think  they 
are  very  holy.  A tree  very  near  the  tank  was 
pointed  out  as  having  risen  from  the  roots  of 
one  in  which  the  god  Siva  had  at  one  time  been 
hid.  The  story  they  tell  is  this  : 

The  Holy  Man  and  Siva. — A Brahmin  had 
once  become  so  holy,  by  the  practice  of  severe 
penances  and  austerities,  that  he  could  com- 
mand the  gods  to  grant  him  whatsoever  he 


32 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


might  desire.  He  therefore  called  upon  Siva  and 
demanded  of  him  that  he  should  grant  him  the 
power,  that  upon  whomsoever  he  should  lay  his 
right  hand,  the  person  touched  should  be  burnt 
to  ashes.  Now  Siva,  being  a god,  could  look 
into  the  holy  man’s  heart,  and  he  perceived  what 
the  holy  man’s  desire  was,  that  as  soon  as  he 
received  the  power,  he  should  lay  his  hand 
upon  the  god  himself  and  burn  him  up.  Now, 
though  he  knew  this,  the  god  was  obliged  to 
give  him  the  power.  As  soon,  therefore,  as 
the  holy  man  had  received  the  gift,  he  began 
to  pursue  the  god  that  he  might  lay  his  hand 
upon  him.  Siva  had  to  flee,  and  in  flying 
changed  himself  into  different  shapes  again  and 
again,  to  enable  him  to  escape  his  pursuer. 
He  fled  from  one  city  and  place  to  another,  till 
at  length,  when  he  came  down  here,  Siva  was 
almost  wdthin  the  saint’s  grasp.  To  avoid  this 
he  jumped  into  a tree,  and  changed  himself  into 
the  kernel  of  one  of  its  fruits.  The  fakir’s 
head  was  turned  away  at  the  minute,  so  that 
he  did  not  see  which  way  the  god  went.  He 
turned  round,  but  the  god  had  disappeared ; he 
was  in  great  perplexity,  as  nothing  was  to  be 


OUTWITTED. 


33 


seen  in  the  whole  plain  hut  this  one  tree  and 
a ploughman  at  work  Avith  his  oxen.  At  last 
he  called  to  the  ploughman,  to  ask  him  wdiich 
way  the  god  had  gone.  This  placed  the  poor 
ploughman  in  a Amry  hard  position.  He  knew 
if  he  did  not  tell  the  saint,  he  would  punish 
him  ; and  if  he  did  tell  him,  then  the  god  would 
afterwards  punish  him  ; so  he  thought  at  length 
that  he  would  avoid  both  by  not  saying  a Avord, 
and  simply  pointing  Avith  his  finger  to  the  fruit 
in  Avhich  the  god  lay  concealed.  The  fakir 
noAv  sat  himself  doAvn  under  the  tree,  and  as  it 
was  too  high  for  him  to  climb  to  obtain  the 
fruit,  he  determined  to  wait  patiently  till  it 
should  fall. 

Now  the  god  Vishnu,  seeing  the  trouble  in 
which  his  brother  god  was,  changed  himself 
into  the  form  of  a beautiful  woman,  and  thus 
appeared  before  the  fakir,  Avho  immediately  fell 
in  love  with  her  and  wanted  to  marry  her. 
She  agreed,  but  told  him  that  as  she  AAvas  a 
high-caste  Brahmin  Avoman,  he  must  go  through 
the  ceremonies  of  the  Avorship  of  Vishnu  first. 
This  he  directly  proceeded  to  perform,  forget- 
ting that  in  one  part  of  it  he  had  to  lay  his  hand 


34 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


on  his  head.  He  did  this  suddenly,  and  imme- 
diately he  himself  was  burnt  to  ashes,  and  thus 
the  god  Siva  was  released  from  his  imprison- 
ment. Siva  turned  directly  in  great  fury  on 
the  poor  ploughman  who  had  pointed  with  his 
finger  at  the  fruit,  and  told  him  he  should  have 
that  finger  chopped  off.  The  wife  of  the  poor 
man,  who  had  just  come  into  the  field  bringing 
her  husband’s  dinner,  knelt  before  the  angry 
god,  and  imjjlored  him  not  to  maim  her  husband, 
for  if  he  did  so,  not  only  would  the  man  suffer, 
but  she  and  her  children  would  starve  to  death, 
as  he  would  he  unable  to  work  to  obtain  them 
food.  She  besought  him  to  take  her  finger  in- 
stead. The  god  consented,  upon  the  condition 
that  not  only  should  she  lose  her  finger,  but 
that  every  woman  of  her  family,  on  the  occasion 
of  the  marriage  of  her  first  daughter,  should 
have  the  forefinger  of  her  right  hand  chopped 
off,  and  this  was  to  continue  to  all  generations. 
I have  seen  two  women  said  to  belong  to  that 
family  who  have  been  thus  maimed.  They  are 
of  the  coolie  caste.  It  is  very  sad  to  know  that 
these  poor  people  believe  these  ridiculous  legmids 
as  firmly  as  we  do  the  revealed  word  of  God. 


EDUCATION  AND  CHRISTIANITY. 


Boys’  School  Examinations. — While  at  Ma- 
dras, I attended  the  examination  of  the  boys’ 
school  of  the  Free  Kirk  of  Scotland.  It  is  a 
day  school,  and  has  collected  many  hundreds  of 
heathen  and  Mohammedans.  We  heard  them 
examined  in  Scripture,  geography,  and  Euclid. 
I could  not  help  thinking,  as  I looked  at  the 
boys  and  remembered  their  surroundings,  how 
much  more  people  expect  from  the  labors  of 
missionaries  than  they  ought  to  expect.  At 
home,  if  boys  are  taken  out  of  degradation,  and 
removed  entirely  from  the  sights,  scenes,  and 
companions  of  their  former  vicious  courses,  and 
have  everything  done  to  elevate  them,  we  do 
not  think  time  or  money  has  been  wasted,  though 
none  may  become  professing  Christians  while 
in  the  institute  to  which  they  have  been  taken. 
We  think  a vast  deal  has  been  done  in  training 
them  in  good  habits,  in  teaching  them  the  let- 
ter of  the  Holy  Word — which  assuredly,  at 
some  time,  brings  forth  fruit — and  in  giving 
them  the  means  of  earning  an  honest  livelihood. 
Though  praying  for  greater  and  for  spiritual  re- 
sults, yet  we  are  not  dissatisfied  with  these. 
Strange  that  we  should  feel  that  there  ought 


36 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


to  be  such  different  results  in  heathen  lands. 
For,  notwithstanding  all  the  enticements  and 
persecutions  of  friends,  all  their  former  heathen 
training,  and  the  scenes  that  are  constantly 
around  them,  the  natural  enmity  of  the  heart 
of  man  to  the  holiness  required  by  God,  and  the 
strong  efforts  put  forth  by  Satan  to  retain  pos- 
session of  his  stronghold — in  spite  of  all  this, 
Christians  seem  to  expert  that  every  heathen 
to  whom  the  gospel  is  preached  will  immediately 
embrace  it.  You  look  to  read  of  numbers  join- 
ing the  church,  and  if  you  do  not  see  this  you 
think  that  nothing  nas  been  done.  But  the 
seed  is  being  sown  now;  the  harvest  will  be 
hereafter.  Is  it  nothing  that  now  in  all  heathen 
lands,  hundreds  and  thousands  are  being  taught 
the  pure  Word  of  God  ? Yes,  but,  some  will 
say,  what  good  does  that  do  as  long  as  they  do 
not  renounce  entirely  their  idolatries  ? Stop, 
my  friend ; look  at  homt : go  into  one  of  our 
large,  fashionable  congregations.  There  are  a 
thousand  people.  Out  of  that  number,  how 
many  are  nominally  professing  Christians  ? And 
how  many  of  those  again  are  really  earnest,  de- 
voted ones  ? Judge  ye  : what,  then,  are  the 


A FAITHFUL  FEW. 


37 


others  ? It  is  true,  they  have  been  benefited 
and  elevated  to  a high  degree  by  their  intel- 
lectual knowledge  of  the  doctrines  of  the  cross  ; 
but  each  one  retains  his  or  her  own  idol,  not  as 
palpable  as  those  of  the  heathen,  hut  still  an 
idol  which  is  worshipped.  With  one,  it  is  him- 
self, wdth  another,  wealth,  fame,  or  friends, 
which  holds  the  supreme  place  God  alone  should 
have ; and  when  we  think  of  this,  remember 
that,  here,  to  be  called  a Christian  is  a title 
of  respect,  and  might  tempt  many  to  hypocrisy 
for  gain ; while  among  the  heathen  it  is  a dis- 
grace and  a cause  of  much  bitter  persecution, 
and  therefore  far  less  likely  to  be  insincere. 
Did  we  think  rightly  on  this  subject,  our  won- 
der would  be,  not  that  there  are  so  few,  but 
that  there  are  so  many,  professing  Christians 
in  India. 

The  God’s  Mark. — I noticed  that  many  of 
the  Hindoos  whom  we  met  had  marks  of  dif- 
ferent kinds  on  their  foreheads,  painted  red  and 
white.  These  are  the  distinguishing  marks  of 
the  particular  god  to  whose  Avorship  they  have 
devoted  themselves.  They  are  very  careful  that 
these  marks  should  be  perfectly  correct,  so  that 


38 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


no  mistake  shall  be  made  about  them ; and  they 
are  particular  to  have  them  renewed  eA^eiy 
morning.  Should  not  this  be  a lesson  to  Chris- 
tians to  be  careful  that  they  bear  about  with 
them  the  marks  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  to  re- 
member his  promise,  that  “bis  name  shall  be 
in  their  foreheads”? 

The  Henxa. — This  is  a plant  with  which  the 
ATomen  dye  the  fingers  and  toes,  thinking  it  a 
decoration  A'ery  pretty  and  becoming.  I cannot 
say  I agree  with  them.  The  plant  has  a A^ery 
pretty  white  floAver  AA’hich  has  a sweet  perfume. 
The  leaf  resembles  that  of  the  fuchsia.  These 
leaA'es  are  pounded  into  a paste,  and  then  a 
portion  is  laid  on  each  nail  and  on  different  parts 
of  the  hands  and  feet.  After  the  paste  is  re- 
moved, the  parts  first  turn  yellow  and  then  red. 
It  wears  or  Avashes  off  very  gradually,  so  that 
it  requires  to  be  renewed  about  once  in  ten  days. 

Paun. — All  the  natives,  male  and  female, 
here  have  a habit  of  chewing  paun.  It  is  com- 
posed of  the  betel-nut,  chopped  up  very  small, 
mixed  Avith  lime  and  then  rolled  up  in  a leaf. 
It  is  made  up  into  a small  roll,  just  large  enough 
to  go  into  the  mouth.  It  is  very  pungent  and 


FOOD  AND  DRINK. 


39 


somewhat  stimulating  in  its  properties.  Tliis 
decays  the  teeth,  eventually  turning  them  quite 
black.  And  it  is  very  disgusting,  for  it  fills  the 
mouth  and  covers  the  teeth,  wdiile  they  are 
chewing  it,  with  a fluid  resembling  blood ; and 
they  expectorate  with  it  about  as  offensively  as 
a tobacco  chewer.  The  first  one  I saw  using 
this  I was  frightened,  thinking  the  woman  was 
spitting  blood. 

Food. — The  people  of  India,”  says  Allen, 
“ eat  little  meat  compared  with  those  of  the 
United  States.  The  Brahmins  and  Jainos  re- 
ligiously abstain  from  meat  of  every  kind.  They 
will  not  eat  even  eggs,  saying  there  is  a germ 
of  life  in  them.  Some  classes  will  eat  no  meat 
but  fish.  Hindoos  of  all  classes  abstain  from 
eating  beef ; but  the  great  body  of  them  wall 
eat  fish,  fowls,  goats,  and  sheep.  They  use 
these  kinds  of  food  sparingly.” 

Drink  and  Stimulants. — “Water  is  the  com- 
mon drink,  at  meals  and  other  times.  Tobacco 
is  chewed  and  smoked  (mostly  smoked);  but 
the  quality  of  the  Indian  plant  is  not  as  strong 
as  the  American  tobacco.  All  classes  chew  an 
aromatic  leaf  called  betel,  with  anca-nut,  lime, 


40 


TALKS  ABOUT  IXDIA. 


and  spices  mixed  together.  The  use  of  spirit- 
uous liquors  is  prohibited  to  Brahmins,  and  is 
disreputable  among  all  higher  classes.  Some 
people,  generally  of  the  lower  classes,  use  arrack, 
and  other  kinds  of  intoxicating  liquor ; and  some 
smoke  and  in  various  ways  use  the  intoxicating 
and  stupefying  vegetable  called  ganga,  or  Indian 
hemp  {Cannabis  sativa).  Opium  is  eaten  and 
smoked,  and  a liquor  made  from  it  is  drunk. 
Drunkenness  is  most  common  in  places  which 
have  grown  up  under  the  patronage  and  protec- 
tion of  the  English  government,  and  Avhere  the 
European  population  is  the  largest.”  See  Al- 
len’s India,  p.  488. 

Tradition. — One  of  the  missionaries  of  South- 
ern India  was  telling  me,  to-day,  of  some  curious 
traditions  of  the  people  he  has  been  among 
nearly  thirty  years.  He  states  : The  Moham- 
medans say  that,  for  the  next  few  years,  there 
are  to  be  great  troubles  all  over  the  world — 
wars,  earthquakes,  &c.,  &c. ; but  after  these  are 
over,  their  tenth  and  greatest  Iman  is  to  appear. 
Then  all  the  wicked  are  to  be  cut  off,  and  he  is 
to  reign  in  righteousness  over  all  the  earth. 
The  Hindoos  also  state  that  there  has  been  a 


TALIPOT  TREE. 


41 


recent  incarnation  of  Vishnu ; that  he  is  now  a 
child,  somewhere  in  Cashmere ; that  he  is . to 
be  thoroughly  educated,  and,  as  soon  as  he  ar- 
rives at  man’s  estate,  he  will  proceed  to  Delhi, 
where  he  will  be  placed  on  the  throne  of  his 
ancestors.  Immense  treasures  are  still  hidden 
there,  which  he,  by  his  divine  wisdom,  will  soon 
discover.  Before  this,  however,  there  will  be 
dreadful  plagues,  famines,  and  wars ; and  the 
strangest  sights  will  be  seen,  both  in  earth  and 
heaven.  Kings  and  queens  will  come  from  all 
parts  of  the  earth  to  bring  presents  to  him  and 
to  worship  him,  and  those  who  do  not  he  will 
destroy ; all  those  who  are  very  wicked  will 
die,  but  the  good  will  live  and  be  very  happy 
while  his  reign  shall  last,  which  will  be  many 
thousands  of  years,  so  they  think. 

Talipot  Tree. — In  the  Botanical  Garden,  at 
Madras,  there  is  a very  singular  tree,  a species 
of  palm,  called  the  talipot  tree.  It  grows  to  a 
great  height,  and  has  an  immense  leaf  on  each 
branch,  sometimes  from  twenty  to  thirty  feet 
wide.  The  tree  blooms  once  in  ninety  years. 
Dr.  Winslow,  who  was  in  India  over  forty  years, 
never  but  once  saw  one  in  bloom.  The  flower 

4 


42 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


is  an  enormous  cone,  fifteen  feet  high  and  eight 
feet  in  circumference,  composed  of  an  almost 
infinite  number  of  small  flowers.  When  the 
cone  first  appears  it  is  covered  with  a pod, 
or  cuticle ; this  remains  on  it  till  the  buds  are 
all  neady  to  open ; the  sheath  or  pod  then  bursts 
open  with  a report  like  thunder.  The  flower 
remains  in  bloom  only  a few  days,  then  both  it 
and  the  tree  that  bore  it  die. 

Irrigation  in  Madras. — The  way  of  raising 
water  here  is  as  follows  : At  one  end  of  a tank 
they  place  a strong,  tall,  upright  post,  about 
twenty-five  feet  high.  This  is  split  just  at  the 
top  and  a cross-piece  inserted,  the  centre  rest- 
ing in  the  split.  This  beam  is  about  as  long  as 
the  other  is  high.  At  one  end  of  it  a leather 
bucket  is  attached  by  a long  rope.  One  man 
stands  ready  to  empty  the  water  from  this 
bucket  into  a trough  by  the  side  of  the  tank, 
by  which  it  is  carried  all  over  the  field  or  gar- 
den ; and  one  or  two  men  are  continually  walk- 
ing up  and  down  on  the  cross-beam,  thus  raising 
or  lowering  the  bucket.  It  is  a most  ancient 
way,  but  looked  to  me  very  tedious  and  danger- 
ous, for  the  beam  was  not  very  broad,  and  the 


PUNKAHS. 


43 


men  had  to  keep  a perfect  balance  or  they 
would  have  fallen  off  and  been  hurt  severely. 
It  seemed  much  like  rope-dancing.  I sup- 
pose this  was  the  ancient  way  of  ‘^watering 
with  the  foot.” 

Punkahs. — There  is  one  thing  that  strikes 
every  foreigner  on  his  first  arrival  as  very  curi- 
ous, in  the  houses  of  all  the  English  inhabitants 
and  in  the  churches ; and  that  is  the  punkah, 
or  the  large  fan  which  cools  all  that  sit  in  the 
same  room  at  once.  The  punkah  is  suspended 
from  the  ceiling  by  cords  about  six  feet  in 
length.  It  is  generally  made  of  a coarse  kind 
of  cloth,  stretched  over  a frame  of  wood,  and 
then  whitewashed.  It  will  vary  in  length  Jrom 
eight  to  fifteen  feet,  according  to  the  size  of  the 
room ; and  is  usually  from  three  to  four  feet 
deep.  A line  is  fastened  to  the  centre  of  this, 
which  passes  over  a pulley  and  out  through  a 
hole  in  the  wall ; and  a servant  sits  in  the  outer 
room  or  veranda  and  pulls  the  line  backwards  and 
forwards.  This  keep*s  a constant  current  of  air 
in  circulation  and  mitigates  the  intense  heat. 
On  this  account  the  ceilings  are  aU  very  lofty, 
being  from  eighteen  to  twenty  feet  high.  In  a 


44 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


clmrcli  there  will  be  from  twenty  to  thirty  of 
these  punkahs  going  at  a time.  Of  course,  it 
destroys  all  the  architectural  beauty  of  the 
building ; and  at  first,  till  the  preacher  becomes 
accustomed  to  it,  it  is  a great  source  of  annoy- 
ance. Another  method  of  cooling  the  rooms, 
says  Dr.  Allen,  “ is  to  hang  curtains  of  bamboo 
and  other  materials  before  doors  and  windows ; 
and  these  being  kept  constantly  wet,  the  air 
passing  through  them  is  cooled.  Another  plan  is 
to  place  a yentilator,  constructed  somewhat  like 
a winnowing  machine,  in  some  central  part  of 
the  house,  and,  by  working  it,  and  hanging  wet 
curtains  over  the  doors,  the  air  is  kept  moist 

and  cool.  Some  such  means  for  cooling  the  at- 

♦ 

mosphere  are  as  necessary  for  people,  in  health 
and  in  sickness,  in  India,  as  fires  in  stoves  and 
furnaces  are  for  comfort  in  the  United  States 
in  the  winter  season.” — Allen’s  India,  p.  5. 

Khurd-Khan. — In  the  parts  of  India  where 
the  hot  winds  prevail,  blowing  periodically  in 
one  direction,  they  have  another  mode  of  cool- 
ing the  atmosphere,  and  that  is  by  using  what 
are  called  Khusa  Kuss  Tathes.  The  khuss- 
khuss  is  a species  of  grass  that  grows  in  the 


KEEnXG  COOL. 


45 


jungles.  The  roots  of  this  grass  are  very  long 
and  the  fibres  thick  and  strong.  They  weave 
these  together  into  a thickness  of  several  inches, 
and  then  put  the  mat  into  frames  that  just  fit 
the  doors  or  windows,  and  it  is  the  duty  of  one 
of  the  servants,  the  beshtie,  or  water  carrier, 
to  keep  this  constantly  wet ; the  rapid  evapora- 
tion keeps  the  air  of  the  room  down  to  a mod- 
erate temperature.  When  it  is  fresh,  the  khuss- 
khuss  has  a most  agreeable  odor. 


CHAPTER  THIRD. 


CALCUTTA,  AND  THE  CLIMATE  OF  INDIA. 

FTER  remaining  two  or  three  weeks  in 


IMadras,  I proceeded  to  Calcutta,  which 
was  to  be  the  scene  of  my  future  mission  labors. 
My  principal  design  in  this  book  is  not  to  tell 
you  of  our  mission  work,  but  to  give  you,  if 
possible,  a correct  idea  of  the  habits  and  cus- 
toms of  the  people  themselves  among  whom  we 
have  labored.  You  will  thus  see  how  grateful 
we  ought  to  be  to  God,  who  has  given  us  his 
holy  book,  Avhose  entrance  giveth  life,  and  how 
much  need  there  is  that  we  take  it  to  those 
“ who  are  sitting  in  darkness  and  the  shadow 
of  death.”  The  Hoogly  is  one  of  the  mouths 
of  the  sacred  river  Ganges,  and  Calcutta  is 
situated  on  it,  about  one  hundred  and  twenty 
miles  above  where  it  empties  into  the  Bay  of 
Bengal.  The  Ganges,  as  you  know,  is  the 
sacred  river  of  the  Hindoos.  It  has  many 
mouths  by  Avhich  it  empties  into  the  bay,  but 


r 


(Talhs  about  Inbia. 


chft]).  iii. 


A n ox  cart  of  Indhi, 


CALCUTTA. 


47 


the  Hoogly  is  considered  the  most  sacred ; and 
just  where  it  joins  its  waters  to  those  of  the 
sea,  there  is  a large  island  called  Sanger  Island, 
and  this  is  an  especially  sacred  spot.  The  Hin- 
doos hold  a festival  here  once  a year,  in  the 
month  of  January,  and  thousands  and  tens  of 
thousands  come  to  attend  it.  They  come  down 
the  river  for  hundreds  of  miles  in  their  boats, 
and  here  they  worship  their  god  Gunga,  the  god 
of  the  river.  In  former  days  it  was  here  that 
mothers  used  to  throw  their  babes  to  be  de- 
voured by  the  sharks  and  alligators.  The 
British  government  has  tried  to  stop  this,  and 
soldiers  and  policemen  are  appointed  to  attend 
this  festival  and  prevent  these  murders.  Doubt- 
less many  are  still  thrown  in  secretly. 

The  scenery  of  the  river  is  tame,  but  the  fo- 
liage is  very  beautiful  and  luxuriant,  with  rough 
rude  huts  scattered  here  and  there  amidst  the 
dense  jungle.  As  soon  as  you  drop  anchor, 
your  vessel  is  surrounded  by  a crowd  of  boat- 
men, each  eager  to  gain  the  few  pence  Avhich 
will  be  given  to  convey  you  to  shore.  The 
steamers  now  anchor  down  a little  below  Gar- 
den Reach,  about  three  miles  from  the  city 


48 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


proper,  but  you  will  find  plenty  of  polky  ghar- 
ries in  waiting  to  convey  you  to  any  part  of  the 
city.  You  drive  along  a road,  by  the  side  of  the 
river,  past  Fort  William,  which  is  considered  a 
very  strong  fortification  and  capable  of  holding 
several  thousand  troops.  This  fort  is  situated 
at  the  centre  of  the  Maiden,  which  is  a large 
plain  a mile  and  a half  in  length.  At  one  end 
is  the  Government  House,  the  High  Court  and 
Treasury  Office,  at  the  other  the  Cathedral. 
On  one  side  is  the  river,  on  the  other  a hand- 
some street  filled  with  English  dwellings. 

There  are  a number  of  roads  through  this 
Maiden,  shaded  by  fine  trees.  You  might  call 
this  place  really  the  lungs  of  Calcutta,  and  here 
the  whole  city  (all  but  the  poor  native  women) 
turn  out  to  breathe  in  the  evening.  The  most 
fashionable  part  of  the  drive  is  along  the  bank 
of  the  river.  There  you  Avill  see  carriage  after 
carriage  rolling  along,  with  their  native  drivers 
and  native  footmen  in  cool  and  most  picturesque 
costumes  or  liveries — the  viceroy’s  carriage 
and  four  with  his  outriders,  ladies  and  gentle- 
men on  horseback  or  driving,  native  gentlemen 
(but  never  native  ladies)  of  every  rank  and 


CALCUTTA. 


49 


every  hue,  from  the  prince  or  rajah,  or  the  rich 
merchant,  covered  with  gold  and  jewels,  down 
to  the  most  ordinary  and  common-looking  Ori- 
entals in  vehicles  corresponding  to  their  riders’ 
appearance.  All  the  life  of  Calcutta  is  here  at 
this  hour.  Near  the  Government  House  is  a 
music  stand,  and  just  at  sundown  a band  plays 
for  an  hour;  as  it  grows  dark  the  carriages 
congregate  here,  and  then  Calcutta  goes  home 
to  dine  and  the  jackals  come  out  to  howl, 
and  certainly  you  never  heard  sounds  like 
these ; it  is  just  the  music  you  could  imagine 
of  a pack  of  fiends.  These  jackals,  however, 
with  the  adjutants  and  the  vultures,  are  the 
scavengers  of  the  city. 

Those  houses  of  the  English  people  you  see 
on  the  other  side  of  the  Maiden  are  large,  gene- 
rally square  houses,  two  or  three  stories  high, 
with  front  verandas  close  shut  in  with  Venetian 
blinds.  They  each  stand  in  the  middle  of  a 
little  garden  or  compound,  as  it  is  called,  with 
a high  wall  all  round  it,  the  ugliness  of  the  wall 
generally,  however,  redeemed  by  being  covered 
by  some  beautifully  flowering  creeper.  Here 
the  English  residents  live  in  great  luxury. 


50 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


everything  being  done  to  make  life  easy  in  this 
debilitating  climate. 

The  Bore. — Last  evening,  as  I was  returning 
home,  I passed  over  a small  stream,  a branch 
of  the  Hoogly,  which  runs  down  one  side  of  the 
city.  I heard  a great  noise  and  saw  a crowd 
of  people  collected  on  the  bridge  and  on  the 
hanks  looking  down  on  the  stream,  and  soon  I 
perceived  that  the  waters  were  rolling  in  one 
great  wave  up  the  stream.  On  asking  what 
this  was,  I was  told  that  it  was  the  Bore — a 
great  tidal  wave  which  appears  each  month  at 
a certain  time  of  the  moon.  It  seems  to  he  a 
tremendous  wave  of  the  sea,  which  rolls  up  the 
Ganges  and  its  branches  for  hundreds  of  miles  ; 
hut  only  one  wave ; it  is  never  followed  by  a 
second.  No  one  can  account  for  it,  but  it  fre- 
quently does  a great  deal  of  mischief,  even  at 
this  distance  from  the  sea — one  hundred  and 
twenty  miles — in  dragging  ships  from  their 
moorings  and  in  swamping  all  small  boats  that 
have  not  been  well  secured.  The  wave  last 
night  they  said  must  have  been  full  ten  feet 
high.  It  was  most  singular  in  its  appearance, 
looking  like  a great  moving  Avail  of  water.  I 


HOT  WEATHER. 


51 


could  not  but  think  that  very  much  like  this 
must  have  appeared  the  walls  of  water  to  the 
Israelites  in  the  Red  Sea.  They  tell  me  that 
this  same  phenomenon  occurs  in  the  Irrawaddy, 
the  Orinoco,  and  the  Yang-tse-kiang. 

Heat. — This  is  the  month  of  May,  and  the 
heat  is  something  terrible,  the  thermometer 
standing  often  at  110°  in  the  shade.  And  the 
way  you  perspire  here — well,  it  is  something 
“ pro-di-gious  !”  as  Dominie  Sampson  would  say. 
You  may  put  on  a clean  white  dress,  and  in  two 
hours  it  is  not  fit  to  be  seen ; all  the  stiffening 
gone,  and  the  w^aist  at  any  rate  perfectly  dab- 
bled. The  big  drops  of  water  stand  out  and 
roll  down  you,  and  you  are  just  in  the  condition 
of  the  panes  of  glass  in  a window  on  a densely 
foggy  day.  Certainly  I should  think  this 
human  machine  of  ours  requires  good  food  to 
keep  up  the  steam. 

One  of  the  minor  evils  with  which  one  is 
afflicted  here — and  yet  for  the  time  it  does  not 
seem  a very  little  one — is  the  terrible  pricJthj 
heat  with  which  almost  every  one  is  troubled 
at  the  commencement  of  the  rainy  season  that 
has  just  set  in  now.  There  is  scarcely  one 


52 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


person — old  or  young,  rich  or  poor — but  what 
is  troubled  to  a greater  or  less  degree  with  it. 
It  comes  out  in  a thick  rash,  with  intense  itch- 
ing, and  if  you  try  to  relieve  that  by  scratching, 
you  produce  small  boils  or  sores  instead.  So 
you  see  there  is  plenty  here  to  grumble  about, 
for  people  who  are  so  disposed.  At  this  season 
of  the  year  (the  month  of  June),  the  commence- 
ment of  the  rains,  it  does  not  seem  hardly 
like  rain,  but  as  if  the  heavens  opened  and  let 
down  an  immense  sheet  of  water;  and  it  is 
marvellous  what  an  amount  will  come  down  in 
a few  minutes. 

Rains. — There  is  no  use  in  grumbling  about 
the  weather.  It  is  towards  the  end  of  August, 
in  the  rain,  and  oh,  the  weather  really  is  some- 
thing to  he  dreaded.  The  constant  showers, 
with  the  intense  heat  of  the  sun  after  them, 
always  cause  a great  deal  of  sickness  among  all 
classes  of  the  people.  There  is  scarcely  a house 
where  there  are  not  some  ailing.  There  is  no 
air  stirring ; everything  you  touch  is  “ a damp 
(without  the  cold),  moist,  unpleasant  body,” 
including  yourself — to  use  Mens.  Mantalini’s 
expressive  words — and  everything  becomes 


RAIXS. 


53 


mildewed  and  smells  mouldy.  It  is  no  wonder 
that  there  is  so  much  sickness. 

A country  nearly  two  thousand  miles  in  ex- 
tent from  north  to  south,  and  of  various  degrees 
of  elevation,  from  the  plains  on  the  sea-coasts 
to  the  loftiest  mountains  on  the  globe,  must 
have  a great  variety  of  climate.  Over  half  of 
India  lies  within  the  tropics,  and  hence  the  cli- 
mate is  generally  hot ; in  some  portions,  very 
hot.  ‘‘  In  the  northern  provinces,  snow  and  ice 
are  frequent  in  the  winter  months but  the 
heat  of  the  sun  is  more  intense  throughout 
India  than  on  the  same  latitude  in  the  United 
States.  Foreigners  from  Europe  and  America 
cannot  safely  attempt  many  kinds  of  labor  and 
exertion  which  would  he  quite  harmless  in 
their  own  land.  In  the  hot  districts,  such 
labor  and  exposure  soon  bring  on  prostration, 
disease,  and  possibly  death.  The  mean  tem- 
perature in  January  at  Calcutta  is  67° ; at 
Madras,  77°  5 at  Bombay,  78°.  In  May  the 
mean  at  these  places  is  83°,  87°,  and  85°  re- 
spectively, and  it  frequently  reaches  100°  to 
110°  in  the  shade,  or  an  average  of  about  fifteen 
degrees  hotter  than  in  Boston  or  New  York  in 


54 


TALKS  ABOUT  IKDIA. 


the  mouth  of  July.  The  climate  of  India  is 
considerably  affected  by  the  winds  called  mon- 
soons. which  blow  about  half  the  year  from  the 
southwest  and  the  other  half  from  the  north- 
east. The  first  monsoon  begins  early  in  June, 
bringing  with  it  from  the  Indian  Ocean  floods 
of  rain.  This  rainy  season  continues  until  near 
the  end  of  September,  and  the  total  rainfall 
amounts  to  from  fifty  to  sixty  inches.  The 
other  monsoon  begins  about  the  middle  of  Oc- 
tober, and  brings  rain  from  the  Bay  of  Bengal, 
along  the  Coromandel  coast,  until  into  Decem- 
ber ; but  during  this  period  the  opposite  coast 
has  fair  weather  and  northerly  breezes.  The 
dry,  hot  season  lasts  from  December  until  May 
or  June. 


CHAPTER  FOURTH. 


A ZENANA,  HOUSES,  DRESS,  DOMESTIC  CUSTOMS. 

ZENANA.  — Literally  the  word  means 


woman’s  apartment,  but  the  word  now  is 
generally  used  to  designate  the  houses  of  the 
high-caste  gentlemen,  where  they  koep  their 
wives  shut  up  or  entirely  secluded.  These  are 
built  just  like  two  large  hollow  squares,  one 
immediately  behind  the  other,  each  having  a 
large  open  court  in  the  centre,  the  court  open 
to  the  sky ; and  it  is  from  this  that  most  of  the 
rooms  receive  their  light  and  air.  The  building 
is  generally  from  three  to  four  stories  high, 
with  a veranda  facing  on  the  court  running 
round  each  story,  the  stairs  or  staircases  open- 
ing into  these  verandas,  and  the  doors  and 
windows  of  the  different  rooms  all  opening  into 
them.  Indeed,  in  the  woman’s  jiart  of  the 
building — the  zenana  proper — all  the  doors  and 
windows  open  into  the  verandas,  and  the 
rooms  receive  their  only  light  and  air  from  the 


56 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


open  court  in  the  centre ; they  have  no  windows 
that  open  into  gardens  or  streets,  though  in  the 
men’s  apartments  they  have.  In  the  men’s 
part  of  the  building,  one  end  of  the  veranda 
is  raised  a few  steps  higher  than  the  rest,  and 
at  the  time  of  any  Poojah  (festival  to  the  gods), 
marriage,  or  any  other  feast,  this  part  of  the 
veranda  is  called  the  god’s  house.  Here  the 
figure  of  the  god  is  placed,  and  here  all  cere- 
monies are  performed,  while  the  audience  al- 
ways remains  in  the  court  below.  The  audience 
is  always  composed  of  men,  for  the  women  may 
not  even  mingle  with  the  men,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  the  dancing  girls,  who  are  always  bad 
characters.  This  god’s  house  is  always  placed 
at  the  end  of  the  men’s  building,  where  it  joins 
the  women’s,  and  in  the  upper  part  of  the  wall 
there  are  several  windows  or  openings ; but 
instead  of  being  filled  with  glass,  they  are  filled 
with  a close  lattice-work  of  bamboo  or  cane, 
like  our  cane-seated  chairs ; and  the  only  part 
the  women  may  ever  take  in  any  festivities  is 
the  looking  down  through  this  screen  upon  what 
the  men  are  doing,  and  preparing  the  sweet- 
meats for  the  feast.  In  the  gentlemen’s  part 


WOMEN’S  APARTMENTS. 


of  the  building  they  have  many  large  and  lofty 
rooms,  several  of  them  furnished  with  a large 
amount  of  elegant  European  furniture,  pictures, 
mirrors,  &c.  Other  rooms,  which  they  more 
generally  occupy,  have  the  floor  covered  with 
either  matting  or  carpet,  and  on  that  a large, 
very  thick  mattress,  from  six  to  twelve  or  fif- 
teen feet  square,  covered  with  a clean  white 
sheet,  and  innumerable  bolsters  and  pillows  of 
all  sizes  and  shapes,  with  a large  punkah  sus- 
pended over  it ; and  here  their  lordships  sit  or 
loll  about  at  their  ease,  reading,  smoking,  gam- 
bling, &c.  They  have  very  fine  libraries  of 
English  books.  The  women’s  apartments  are 
in  great  contrast  to  this.  Each  woman  has  her 
own  room — a small,  dark,  miserable  apartment, 
with  a cold  brick  floor,  bare  of  either  matting 
or  carpet;  a wooden  pallet,  more  like  a low 
table,  with  a piece  of  matting  in  most  cases  laid 
on  it  instead  of  a mattress  ; a little  wooden  box 
for  her  clothes,  and  a brass  drinking-vessel. 
This  completes  the  number  of  her  luxuries. 
This  is  the  magnificent  manner  in  which  the 
wives  of  the  rich  Babas,  or  native  gentlemen, 
live.  Polygamy  exists  but  very  little  amongst 


58 


TALKS  ABOUT  IXIJIA. 


them,  hut  they  live  in  the  patriarchal  style — 
all  the  sons  for  four  or  five  generations  bringing 
their  wives  home  to  the  father’s  house.  Thus 
there  will  he  a very  large  community,  hut  all 
of  one  family,  living  in  one  house,  and  all  bound 
to  obey  the  commands  of  the  head  of  the  house, 
and  his  wife  as  the  female  head.  When  the 
patriarch  dies,  his  oldest  son  takes  the  com- 
mand. The  staircases  up  and  down  to  these 
verandas  are  always  of  brick,  and  generally  in 
a very  dilapidated  condition.  In  fact,  many  of 
the  houses,  even  of  the  wealthiest,  seem  to  be 
literally  dropping  to  pieces ; they  never  think 
of  making  any  repairs,  except  what  are  abso- 
lutely necessary.  To  do  a thing  because  it 
would  look  tidy,  or  clean,  or  neat,  never  seems 
to  occur  to  them.  Most  of  their  houses  are 
merely  large  square  buildings,  without  any 
architectural  adornments,  either  within  or 
without. 

Huts  of  the  Poor. — Intermingling  every- 
where with  the  large  houses  of  the  wealthy, 
you  will  find  the  villages,  as  they  are  called, 
of  the  poor;  a village  standing  on  about  as 
much  ground  as  one  house  of  a wealthy  native. 


HOMES  AND  DRESS. 


59 


and  probably  occupying  adjoining  squares. 
Each  village  consists  of  a number  of  most 
miserable  huts,  huddled  together  without  any 
appearance  of  order,  the  spaces  between  the 
huts  filled  in  with  cows,  goats,  buffaloes,  pariah 
dogs,  chickens,,  and  naked  children ; and  the 
odors ! well,  the  less  said  about  them  the 
better.  The  ground  on  which  these  huts  are 
built  is  generally  separated  from  the  main 
street  by  a deep  ditch  or  open  drain,  five  or 
six  feet  wide,  which  has  a plank  thrown  across 
it  here  and  there  to  serve  for  a bridge.  In  the 
day  the  odors,  and  at  night,  when  they  are  all 
cooking,  the  smoke,  make  it  anything  but 
agreeable  to  live  near  any  of  these  villages. 

Dress. — The  dress  of  the  natives  is  very 
picturesque.  The  native  dress  of  a Bengali 
Baba  is,  I think,  beautiful.  lie  wears  a dhoti; 
this  is  a piece  of  white  muslin,  with  a narrow 
colored  border  put  on  width-ways.  From  the 
waist  to  the  ankles  it  is  wound  once  or  twice 
round  the  body,  and  then  one  end  is  brought 
from  the  waist  behind,  passed  between  the  legs 
and  tucked  in  at  the  waist  in  front;  this  draws 
the  muslin  up,  forming  a sort  of  pantaloons. 


GO 


TALKS  ABOUT  IXDTA. 


Over  this  is  worn  a short  -white  muslin  jacket 
or  shirt,  coming  a little  below  the  Avaist,  and 
then  thrown  carelessly  over  the  shoulder  is  a 
strip  of  fine,  thin,  Decca  muslin  (called  a chud- 
dah),  which  floats  in  the  slightest  breeze,  and 
looks  cool  and  pretty.  His  hare  feet  are  thrust 
into  a pair  of  Oriental  slippers  turned  up  at  the 
toes,  and  his  head  covered  with  a fine  turban 
of  white  muslin.  Those  who  have  become  par- 
tially Anglicized  wear  white  pantaloons,  and  a 
frock-coat  of  white  shirting  muslin,  and  stock- 
ings and  patent-leather  hoots  or  shoes,  and  keep 
the  Avhite  turban  and  the  white  chuddah,  in  the 
cold  season  exchanging  this  for  black  cloth  pan- 
taloons and  frock-coat,  and  a handsome  Indian 
shaAA'l.  The  very  low  caste,  or  coolie  men,  Avear 
nothing  at  any  time  but  a filthy  strip  of  cloth 
around  the  loins. 

The  Avomen  of  all  classes  wear  Avhat  is  called 
a sari'ee,  a straight  piece  of  cloth  from  five  to 
six  yards  in  length,  just  Avound  round  the  body 
and  then  passing  up  over  the  head  and  shoul- 
ders. This  is  of  finer  or  coarser  material,  ac- 
cording to  the  circumstances  of  the  Avearer.  It 
is  of  all  colors,  but  that  most  generally  worn  is 


THEIR  TOILETS. 


G1 


of  white,  with  a narrow  border,  of  about  an  inch 
in  wddth,  of  some  bright  color.  They  never 
wear  under-garments,  nor  shoes  or  stockings, 
but  a variety  of  ornaments.  It  is  very  seldom 
that  the  costlier  jewels  are  worn  even  by  those 
that  possess  them,  but  imitation  ones,  and  all 
classes  wear  a variety  of  bracelets  or  bangles 
made  of  different-colored  glass.  The  Moham- 
medan women  up  the  country  dress  differently. 

The  Toilet. — As  you  pass  along  the  streets, 
in  any  or  all  parts  of  the  city,  English  or  native, 
you  Avill  see  the  native  men  performing  their 
toilets,  without  heeding,  in  the  slightest,  the 
gaze  of  the  passers-by.  One  standing  near  the 
river,  or  a tank,  or  a hydrant,  with  a large 
jar  of  water,  holding  it  high  above  his  head, 
pouring  it  down  over  his  person,  wearing  noth- 
ing but  a strip  of  cloth  around  his  loins.  This 
he  will  afterwards  exchange  for  a dry  strip, 
and  as  he  passes  along  the  street,  he  will  hold 
the  wet  one  in  his  hands  like  a flag,  to  dry. 
The  next  person  you  meet  may  be  performing 
another  part  of  the  toilet,  namely,  rubbing 
himself  over,  neck,  back,  face,  shoulders,  with 
mustard  oil.  A third  may  be  sitting  on  the 


62 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


ground,  cleaning  his  teeth.  This  is  done  by 
first  chewing  the  twig  of  a tree,  till  the  fibres 
separate,  and  then  scrubbing  the  teeth  well 
with  it.  Another,  again,  is  sitting  under  the 
barber’s  hands.  He  not  only  shaves  off  the 
heard,  and  the  hair  of  his  head,  but  with  a pair 
of  tweezers  he  will  pull  out  every  hair  that 
might  grow  in  the  nose,  ears,  &c.  There  are 
very  few  sidewalks,  and  all  this  is  done  in  the 
midst  of  carriage  and  foot  passengers. 

Bhistie. — The  duty  of  several  of  the  servants 
here  strikes  you  as  very  singular.  Here  is  the 
hhistie,  or  water-carrier.  His  duty  is  to  bring 
all  the  water  that  is  needed  for  the  use  of  the 
family,  whether  for  cooking,  bathing,  cleaning, 
or  for  the  use  of  the  horses.  He  often  has  to 
bring  it  from  quite  a long  distance,  from  the 
different  tanks  that  have  been  constructed  for 
this  purpose  in  different  parts  of  the  city.  But 
the  thing  in  which  he  carries  the  water  is  the 
most  singular.  It  is  called  a mussork,  and  must 
certainly  he  the  ancient  bottle  of  Scriptime. 
It  is  made  of  the  skin  of  a young  buffalo,  not 
fully  grown.  The  legs  are  fastened  to  straps, 
which  pass  over  the  bhistie’s  shoulders,  thus 


«Talhs  about  |nbia. 


A Bbistie,  or  Water  Carrier.  p,  62. 


p.  17. 


A Katamaran 


WA  TER-  CA  RRTERS— SHOES. 


63 


holding  the  mussork  firm  on  his  back.  The 
water  is  poured  in  and  out  through  the  neck ; 
and,  though  the  bod}^  is  only  sewed  up,  it  does 
not  leak.  They  are  very  expert  in  watering 
the  streets  with  this,  squirting  it  out  with  the 
skill  and  regularity  of  machines.  You  can  im- 
agine, however,  how  the  process  of  fermenta- 
tion going  on  in  one  of  these  old  bottles  would 
cause  it  to  burst,  just  in  the  way  which  our 
Saviour  says. 

Shoes. — One  day,  on  going  into  the  house,  I 
was  surprised  to  see  a number  of  pairs  of  shoes, 
sandals,  and  clogs  on  the  front  steps.  The  clogs 
were  of  wood — just  a thick  sole  with  a large 
knob  of  wood,  like  a big  nail,  at  the  top ; this 
is  passed  between  the  big  toe  and  the  second, 
and  is  thus  carried  along.  I should  think  it 
would  greatly  impede,  instead  of  helping,  the 
progress.  Others  of  the  shoes  seemed  to  be 
of  woven  straw  ; and  others,  again,  of  leather. 
The  Mohammedans  wear  the  leather,  and  the 
Hindoos  the  other  kind.  It  looked  funny  to 
see  all  these  shoes,  and  I inquired  why  they 
were  there.  I found  it  was  pay-day.  The  lady 
of  the  house  was  paying  her  servants,  and,  as 


64 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


it  is  disrespectful  for  an  inferior  to  come  into  a 
superior’s  presence  with  his  shoes  on,  they  had 
to  leave  them  at  the  door.  Their  customs  seem 
strange  at  first.  It  is  disrespectful  to  have 
covered  feet  or  an  uncovered  head — just  the  re- 
verse to  our  own  rules. 

Tippoo  Sahib’s  Descendants. — I have  been 
introduced  to  Prince  Golam  and  his  son — the 
son  and  grandson  of  Tippoo  Sahib.  The  elder 
one  is  as  ugly  and  villainous  an  old  man  as  I 
ever  saw.  Both  he  and  his  son  had  strongly 
marked  Jewish  countenances.  He  would  have 
passed  weU  in  the  Bowery  for  Mr.  Moses 
Abraham.  They  were,  for  some  time,  held  as 
prisoners,  but  are  now  permitted  to  go  about  as 
they  please  ; only,  always  with  a British  officer 
attending  them,  who  keeps  a sort  of  surveillance 
over  them.  The  old  man  asked  to  be  introduced 
to  me,  spoke  in  very  good  English,  asking  a 
great  many  questions  about  America ; said  he 
had  been  to  England  many  times  ; that  he  liked 
that  climate  better  than  this ; with  a great  deal 
more  to  the  same  purpose.  He  and  his  son 
were  dressed  alike.  They  had  on  patent-leather 
boots,  very  loose  pantaloons,  made  of  a very 


TIPrOO  SAHIB. 


65 


thin  material,  like  blue  muslin.  Over  this,  a 
garment,  made  like  a gentleman’s  dressing  gown, 
which  came  below  the  knees  and  was  buttoned 
all  the  way  down.  This  was  made  of  satin, 
worked  with  gold  thread.  Over  this  he  had  a 
sort  of  cloak,  made  of  cashmere,  the  shawl  pat- 
tern ; it  came  below  the  knees,  was  cut  straight 
and  gathered  into  a band  at  the  neck.  But  the 
caps  must  have  been  of  immense  value.  They 
were  small  skull-caps,  made  of  purple  velvet, 
with  a border  round  the  head,  about  two  inches 
wide,  set  with  emeralds  and  diamonds.  A large 
emerald  in  the  centre,  about  the  size  of  a three- 
cent  piece,  formed  the  centre  of  a star,  the  points 
of  which  were  formed  of  diamonds  ; these  were 
set  in  a row  all  round  the  band,  forming  stars 
about  the  size  of  a quarter-dollar  piece,  and 
then,  at  each  edge  of  the  band,  there  was  a row 
of  alternate  emeralds  and  diamonds  to  finish  the 
border.  On  his  fingers  the  old  man  had  two 
rings,  each  formed  of  a magnificent  solitaire  dia- 
mond, almost  as  large  as  a five-cent  piece.  I 
have  found  that  the  natives  do  not  care  about 
the  cutting  of  a stone,  so  it  only  covers  a large 
surface. 


C6 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


Khansarmer  and  Cook. — I witnessed  a most 
amusing  scene,  one  day,  between  the  cook  and 
kliansarmer,  in  the  house  where  I was  boarding. 
You  are  obliged  to  have  a great  many  servants 
in  India.  It  will  there  take  eight  or  ten  to  do 
the  work  that  one  would  do  here,  as  their  caste 
forbids  each  one  to  do  more  than  one  certain 
kind  of  work.  Thus,  a sweeper  could  on  no 
account  bring  wmter ; neither  might  a bhistie,  or 
water-carrier,  touch  a broom.  These  things 
are  very  troublesome,  requiring  you  to  have  so 
many  about  you ; but  then  their  wages  are  small, 
and  they  do  not  eat  your  food,  but  provide 
their  own;  so  that,  if  you  reckon  the  board 
and  wages  of  one  servant,  the  actual  cost  of 
ten  there  is  hardly  more  than  of  one  here. 
Well,  the  cook,  of  course,  is  the  one  who  pre- 
pares the  food.  The  kliansarmer  is  the  table 
servant — the  one  who  waits,  who  sees  that  all 
things  are  right,  and  who  goes  to  the  bazaar 
each  day  to  purchase  the  food  for  the  family. 
These  men  who  attend  to  the  table  and  the 
cooking  are  always  Mohammedans,  as  it  would 
break  the  caste  of  a Hindoo  if  he  should  touch 
our  food.  Even  if  he  should  touch  one  of  the 


COOKS. 


67 


dishes  on  which  onr  food  had  been,  after  it  had 
been  washed  perfectly  clean,  it  would  break  his 
caste ; consequently,  we  are  always  obliged  to 
have  Mohammedans,  and  these  men  are  always 
great  rogues  and  cheats.  The  last  few  days 
our  hurra  maam  (lady  at  the  head  of  the  house) 
has  been  watching  the  khansarmer  pretty  close- 
ly, and  made  him  bring  the  marketing  to  her, 
so  that  she  might  see  that  he  did  not  charge 
her  for  twelve  eggs  when  he  only  brought  eight, 
&c.,  &c.  Of  course,  this  has  cut  down  some  of 
his  usual  depredations,  and  he  is  quite  cross. 
The  morning  of  which  I speak  he  did  not  bring 
his  marketing  to  show  her,  and  she  forgot  it. 
Presently  we  heard  a great  row,  outside,  be- 
tween the  cook  and  the  khansarmer.  At  length 
the  cook  rushed  in,  carrying  a chicken  in  his 
hand  (they  are  always  bought  alive  there), 
which  he  showed  the  hurra  ma’am  as  one  which 
the  khansarmer  had  brought  him  to  cook  for 
our  dinner,  and  he  pretended  to  be  very  indig- 
nant about  it.  The  poor  bird  was  ill  with  a 
disease  they  call  here  chicken’s  small-pox,  and 
which  is  as  infectious  among  fowls  as  the  same 
disease  is  among  human  bipeds.  It  was  really 


68 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


very  ill,  and  had  lost  one  eye  by  the  disease ; 
and  this  was  what  we  were  to  have  had  for  our 
dinner.  We  wondered  very  much  that  the  cook 
should  have  shown  this,  as  the  servants,  gener- 
ally, help  one  another  to  cheat,  instead  of  ex- 
posing their  tricks.  We  found  out  the  cause, 
however,  afterward.  The  khansarmer  has  been 
in  the  habit  of  giving  the  cook,  each  day, 
about  three  cents,  as  his  share  of  the  cheating 
process ; but  recently  he  had  not  been  able  to 
cheat  quite  as  much,  and  so  had  cut  down  the 
cook’s  share,  which  he  would  not  stand,  and 
consequently  the  row  in  the  kitchen. 

Dhabi. — All  over  India,  I believe,  the  clothes 
are  washed  by  men ; and  they  have  a very  cu- 
rious way  of  doing  it.  They  carry  the  clothes 
away  from  your  house  in  large  bundles  on  their 
own  backs,  or  tied  up  in  two  bundles  and  thrown 
over  the  back  of  a cow,  like  panniers.  Then 
they  take  them  to  a tank  or  pond  of  water,  and 
in  that  they  place  a broad,  flat  stone,  in  shape 
like  the  washboards  we  use  here.  They  stand 
this  slanting  in  the  water,  part  in  and  part  out ; 
then,  dipping  the  garment  to  be  washed  in  the 
water,  they  beat  it  on  the  stone,  again  and  again. 


WASHERMAN— L UNCII. 


G9 


to  cleanse  it,  and  then  the  hot  sun  bleaches  it. 
You  would  hardly  believe  how  clean  and  white 
they  become.  But  if  you  should  have  happened 
to  have  any  buttons  on  your  clothes,  you  need 
never  expect  to  see  them  again.  This  process 
is,  as  you  may  imagine,  very  good  for  trade,  as 
the  washing  wears  them  out  more  than  the 
wearing ; and  the  climate  being  so  hot,  you  are 
obliged  to  have  them  washed  very  frequently. 
There  is  one  comfort,  however  : they  do  it  mar- 
vellously cheap.  You  can  afford  to  change  as 
often  as  you  like.  A dhobi,  or  washerman,  will 
do  all  the  washing  for  one  person,  by  the  month, 
as  many  pieces  as  you  like  to  wear,  at  three 
rupees  (a  dollar  and  a half ) a month. 

Tiffin. — We  were  invited  to  take  tiffin  (or 
lunch)  in  one  of  the  native  houses  or  zenanas 
yesterday,  and  though  I dreaded  it,  yet  I felt 
that  we  had  to  go,  or  it  would  give  offence.  The 
ladies,  of  course,  could  not  eat  with  us,  as  it 
would  break  their  caste  to  eat  anything  we  had 
touched,  or  even  to  eat  anything  off  a dish  that 
we  had  once  touched ; so,  as  I found  after- 
wards, if  they  even  brought  us  anything  on  an 
earthen  platter,  they  had  to  break  it  after  we 


70 


TALKS  ABOUT  IKBIA. 


were  gone,  but  if  it  had  been  placed  on  a brass 
plate,  that  they  could  purify  so  as  to  be  able  to 
use  it  again.  Well,  now  to  our  feast!  There 
was  an  English  lady  and  myself.  They  placed 
in  front  of  us  two  large  wooden  stools,  on  each 
of  which  were  three  earthen  plates  of  different 
sizes.  One  stool,  with  what  was  on  it,  was  for 
each  of  us,  and  the  contents  of  the  plates  for 
each  were  exactly  similar.  On  one  of  the  three 
plates  was  a fish  about  the  size  of  a herring — 
this  appeared  to  have  been  fried  in  ghee  (melted 
butter,  which  is  often  kept  till  it  is  quite  ran- 
cid), some  strange  A^ege tables  cut  in  bits  (I  do 
not  know  what  they  Avere),  and  about  six  large 
round  pancakes,  all  cold.  They  never,  or  rarely 
ever,  eat  anything  hot.  On  another  plate  were 
different  kinds  of  sweetmeats,  as  they  call  them, 
mostly  prepared  Avith  sugar  and  meat,  and  some 
of  them  w'ere  fried  in  ghee,  and  sAvimming  in 
it.  Then  on  the  third  plate  there  Avere  a num- 
ber of  different  kinds  of  fruit,  enough  in  all  for 
a dozen  people,  and  Ave  Avei'e  expected  to  eat  it 
all.  We  could  not  get  off  without  at  least  tast- 
ing everything.  When  they  found  that  Ave 
could  not  possibly  eat  all,  they  insisted  upon 


EATING. 


71 


our  taking  it  home ; but  we  compromised  the 
matter  by  taking  home  the  fruit  and  asking 
them  to  give  the  rest  to  two  of  our  native 
Christian  teachers  who  were  present,  as  they 
would  not  mind  eating  things  that  had  been  on 
the  plates  that  we  had  touched.  The  zenana 
ladies  seemed  perfectly  surprised  at  this,  and 
more  so  when  our  teachers  asked  them  to  give 
them  the  earthen  plates  instead  of  breaking 
them,  as  by  washing  they  could  make  them 
perfectly  clean.  Poor  women,  they  thought 
that  they  would  be  perfectly  defiled  to  eat  from 
anything  we  had  touched  ! You  remember  how 
our  Saviour  teaches  that  it  is  not  that  which 
we  eat  or  drink  that  defiles  us,  but  those  evil 
things  that  proceed  from  the  heart  •,  it  is  those 
which  defile. 

Snakes. — In  a house  where  I called  to-day, 
an  ayah  was  walking  round  the  compound  (en- 
closed garden)  with  a little  English  child,  under 
some  very  high  trees,  when  suddenly  two  small 
snakes  fell  at  her  feet.  They  were  entwined 
together,  but  were  dying,  whether  from  the  fall 
or  that  they  had  been  fighting  could  not  be  told. 
They  were  a very  deadly  kind,  though  small ; 


72 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


their  touch  even,  they  say,  is  poisonous.  To 
such  dangers  are  we  constantly  exposed  in  this 
land. 

Servants. — There  is  a A^ery  strange  custom 
here  amongst  the  English  people.  When  they 
invite  you  out,  if  it  is  only  to  dinner,  you  are 
expected  to  take  your  own  servant  with  you. 
If  you  do  not,  you  are  likely  to  fare  Amry  scant- 
ily ; and  if  you  stay  all  night  he  stays  Avith 
you  and  sleeps  on  the  mat  outside  your  door, 
and  then  he  is  in  readiness  to  do  anything  for 
you  you  may  Avish.  You  must  always,  how- 
ever, in  such  a case  pay  him  a little  extra  each 
day  to  buy  his  food.  This  seems  a very  sin- 
gular custom,  but  your  servants  never  expect 
to  Avait  upon  your  guests.  It  is  not  the  habit, 
they  say,  and  you  have  a great  deal  of  trouble 
Avith  them  if  you  make  them  do  it.  All  who 
travel  out  to  India  should  understand  this.  If 
they  are  guests  at  a place,  if  it  is  only  for  a 
day,  they  should  immediately  get  one  of  the 
servants  of  the  house  to  provide  them  a ser- 
vant (this  can  always  be  done  at  a minute’s 
notice),  for  if  they  do  not  do  this  for  them- 
selves, the  mistress  of  the  house  has  to  do  it, 


SUPERSTITIONS. 


73 


and  then,  of  course,  she  has  to  pay  the  extra 
servant. 

The  Tuckoo  Mah. — I saw  a most  singular 
performance  the  other  day  in  a house  where  I 
was  teaching.  A number  of  the  ladies  were 
sitting  round  me,  and  I was  giving  them  a Bible 
lesson,  when  a very  old  woman,  whom  I had 
never  seen  before,  came  in  and  sat  down.  Im- 
mediately three  of  those  I had  been  teaching 
went  and  knelt  in  front  of  her,  put  their  two 
hands  together,  and  with  their  foreheads  touched 
the  ground.  Upon  inquiry  afterwards  about 
this  I was  told  that  she  was  the  “ Tuckoo 
Mah,”  that  is,  the  mother  of  the  house.  She 
rules  the  female  portion  of  the  household  : 
there  is  no  appeal  from  her  word.  The  hus- 
band cannot  save  his  wife  from  anything  the 
Tuckoo  Mah  may  order.  She  is  treated  with 
most  profound  respect  by  all  the  women,  and 
her  daughters-in-law,  when  they  see  her  for  the 
first  time  each  day,  pay  to  her  the  obeisance  I 
have  just  described.  It  is  when  those  whom 
we  are  now  teaching  the  religion  of  J esus  come 
to  fill  this  position  that  we  shall  hope  to  see  a 
marvellous  change  in  India. 

fi 


74 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


Sickness. — In  visiting  a house  the  other  day 
I found  one  of  the  women  quite  sick.  I asked 
if  she  had  had  a physician.  ‘‘Yes/’  was  the 
answer,  “ one  educated  at  the  Medical  College.” 
On  asking  if  the  doctor  might  see  his  female 
patient — “ Oh,  no  !”  she  replied ; “ a curtain  is 
suspended  in  front  of  the  bed,  and  through  a 
hole  she  puts  out  her  hand  for  him  to  feel  her 
pulse,  and  through  a slit  she  puts  out  her  tongue. 
The  doctor  asks  questions  of  a female  servant, 
which  she  repeats  to  her  mistress,  and  the  an- 
swers are  delivered  in  the  same  way.”  But 
even  this  having  a physician  at  all  is  a great 
step,  as  two  or  three  years  ago  they  would  not 
allow  one  to  attend  female  patients. 

Cruel  Customs. — “ The  tender  mercies  of  the 
wicked  are  cruel.”  One  day  in  visiting  one  of 
my  zenanas  I was  told  that  one  of  the  women 
had  a dear  little  baby  boy,  just  two  days  old. 
I asked  if  I might  see  her,  and  receiving  an 
affirmative  answer,  was  about  to  go  to  her  room, 
when  one  of  the  women  said,  “Not  there,  she 
is  not  in  her  room ; follow  me — I will  take  you 
to  her.”  I followed  the  old  woman  down  stairs, 
and  there,  pointing  across  the  open  court,  shar- 


CRUEL  CUSTOMS. 


75 


ing  the  cow-shed  with  the  cow — which  she  was 
to  continue  to  do  for  the  next  three  weeks — 
I found  the  mother  with  her  babe.  The  woman 
came  to  the  door  of  her  shed  to  show  me  her 
little  boy,  just  two  days  old.  Poor  little  thing, 
it  was  very  light  colored,  but  the  face,  arms, 
hands,  and  chest  were  very  red,  as  if  it  had  had 
a bad  blister.  I asked  what  was  the  matter. 
The  mother  answered,  “Nothing  is  the  matter. 
It  is  our  custom,  when  the  child  is  a day  or  two 
old,  to  light  a large  stick  of  wood  and  hold  the 
baby  over  it,  so  that  the  head,  arms,  chest,  &c., 
get  very  much  scorched.”  “ But,”  I exclaimed, 
in  intense  pity,  “ does  not  the  little  one  cry 
very  much  ?”  The  reply  was,  “ Yes  ; but  then, 
you  know,  it  hardens  them  and  makes  them 
strong.”  Is  it  any  wonder  that  so  many  babies 
die  here  ? They  must,  indeed,  be  tough  little 
things  that  can  live  through  all  this. 

Moorghees. — I made  a most  ludicrous  mis- 
take the  other  day.  You  know  the  people  here 
all  believe  in  the  transmigration  of  souls ; that 
when  a person  dies  he  is  judged  according  to 
his  works,  and  after  a time  he  is  born  again 
into  this  world ; if  he  has  been  good,  he  comes 


7G 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


back  in  a better  position  than  he  was  before ; 
if  he  has  been  bad,  he  comes  back  in  a worse 
position,  or  as  one  of  the  lower  animals.  Now 
I do  not  know  why,  but  they  think  chickens 
are  down,  down  very  low  indeed.  Well,  my 
dhahi,  or  washerman,  has  been  giving  me  a great 
deal  of  trouble  lately.  Instead  of  bringing  my 
clothes  back  every  week,  he  has  kept  them  two 
or  three,  and  in  one  instance  four  weeks ; and 
considering  the  number  of  clothes  you  have  to 
wear  here  on  account  of  the  weather,  this  is 
exceedingly  annoying ; but  he  is  always  ready 
with  excuses  : one  week  his  mother  was  dead, 
another  time  his  brother  was  dead,  another  time 
his  child — all  falsehoods ; I found  he  had  not 
lost  one.  At  last  I got  so  cross  with  him  that 
I went  to  tell  him  he  need  not  make  that  excuse 
to  me  any  more,  for  I was  sure  by  this  time  all 
his  friends  must  be  dead.  I meant  to  say  the 
word  moorghier  (dead),  and  instead  of  that  I 
said  the  word  moorghees  (chickens).  Fancy 
the  consternation  of  the  poor  man  at  my  telling 
him  that  I was  sure  all  these  dear  friends  whom 
he  was  so  sorely  lamenting  had  become  chick- 
ens ! His  wrath  knew  no  bounds.  He  thought 


BOVS'  SCHOOL. 


77 


I had  heaped  upon  him  the  sorest  abuse,  and  I 
was  just  as  much  amazed  at  his  anger,  for  I had 
not  the  least  idea  what  I had  said  to  occasion 
it.  But  at  length  a lady  who  was  standing  by, 
convulsed  with  laughter,  explained  it  to  us  both 
and  set  matters  straight.  Yet  I believe  the 
dliahi  bore  me  a grudge  for  a long  time,  thinking 
I intended  it. 

A Boys’  School. — I have  described  to  you  a 
zenana.  In  the  men’s  part  of  the  building,  at 
one  end  above  the  court,  the  veranda  is  used 
as  a god’s  house,  at  the  time  of  any  Poojah,  or 
festival.  In  one  house  that  I visited  to-day,  I 
saw  that  a better  use  was  being  made  of  it : it 
is  turned  into  a temple  of  learning.  As  we 
entered  the  narrow  passage  leading  to  the  court, 
we  saw  lying  round  a great  many  pairs  of  shoes, 
and  our  ears  were  saluted  by  a tremendous  din 
of  human  voices  ; for  the  teacher  thinks  that  no 
scholar  is  studying  unless  he  hears  his  voice, 
and  the  poor  little  youngster  that  keeps  quiet 
is  very  apt  to  get  a rap  over  the  head  from  the 
master’s  cane,  for  inattention.  When  we  en- 
tered, we  saw  a schoolmaster,  a Brahmin,  seated 
in  the  god’s  house,  while  squatted  around  him. 


78 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


and  down  in  the  court  below,  were  a number  of 
dirty  urchins,  who  were  commencing  to  climb 
the  steep  hill  to  the  temple  of  knowledge. 
Many  of  the  wealthy  Baboos  now  will  pay  a 
Brahmin  priest  to  come  for  two  or  three  hours 
a day,  and  their  servants,  children,  or  any  of 
the  poor  around  may  come  to  be  taught  gratis. 
Each  boy  brings  an  ink-horn,  with  a wooden 
style,  and  some  cocoa-nut  leaves,  instead  of 
paper,  to  write  on,  and  a small  piece  of  matting 
rolled  up  under  his  arm,  on  which  to  sit.  This, 
with  an  old  ragged  book,  is  his  school  equip- 
ment, for  very  little  is  taught  here  except  to 
write  and  read.  I saw  one  little  fellow  come 
in,  and  as  soon  as  he  had  made  his  salaam  (act 
of  recognition  or  obeisance)  to  his  teacher,  he 
placed  his  old  book  and  his  ink-horn  on  the 
ground,  and  then  prostrated  himself  before 
them,  with  his  forehead  touching  the  ground. 
I asked  what  he  was  doing,  and  they  told  me 
he  was  paying  poojah  to  his  book — that  is,  he 
Avas  asking  the  book  to  he  so  kind  as  to  let  his 
lessons  be  easy.  I thought  of  the  words  “ they 
offer  incense  to  their  own  net  and  worship 
their  drag.”  When  the  boys  go  out,  you  may 


CnOLEBA. 


79 


depend  there  is  a great  time,  each  one  finding 
his  own  shoes ; those  who  go  out  first  running 
off  with  or  misplacing  those  belonging  to  the 
others,  and  each  one  screaming,  yelling,  and 
shouting  at  the  top  of  his  lungs.  It  is  far 
worse  than  it  is  with  us,  where  each  boy  is 
looking  for  his  own  hat.  I find  that  to-morrow 
is  a festival  to  the  goddess  of  wisdom,  and  then 
there  can  be  no  school,  as  no  one  must  touch  a 
book  or  a pen,  or  anything  that  relates  to 
learning,  on  that  day. 

Cholera. — The  lady  who  was  to  take  charge 
of  the  European  asylum  arrived  some  weeks 
ago  from  England ; then  the  lady  who  had 
charge  of  the  Scottish  orphanage  (of  native 
children  under  the  care  of  the  Scotch  kirk) 
came  to  me  and  told  me  she  was  very  ill  and 
the  doctor  had  ordered  her  away  for  a change. 
So  she  asked  me  if,  while  she  was  gone,  I would 
not  stay  at  the  orphanage  and  superintend 
matters  there,  as  it  would  not  interfere  with 
my  zenana  work.  I am  here,  entirely  sur- 
rounded by  native  children,  but  several  of  them 
have  been  very  ill,  and  diseases  are  so  sudden 
and  fatal  in  their  effects  in  this  country  that  I 


80 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


feel  more  timid  than  I did  at  having  such  a 
charge,  especially  as  the  native  children  are  so 
different  from  English  children.  When  any- 
thing is  the  matter  with  them,  it  is  hard  to 
make  them  tell  you,  or  explain  it  to  you.  I 
went  one  day  to  my  little  school  and  to  some 
zenanas,  and  came  in  about  two  o’clock.  My 
old  washman  was  then  apparently  perfectly 
well.  About  four  o’clock  one  of  the  other  ser- 
vants came  to  me  and  told  me  that  the  old  man 
seemed  quite  ill.  It  appeared  to  me  that  he 
had  symptoms  of  cholera.  I gave  him  some 
medicine  (he  was  a Mohammedan,  and  so  could 
take  what  I gave  him),  and  afterwards  some 
brandy.  Then  I did  not  know  what  to  do.  I 
thought  he  had  cholera,  but  he  had  no  pain. 
I begged  him  to  go  to  the  hospital,  as  no  doctor 
will  come  to  the  house  to  see  the  poor  natives ; 
they  insist  upon  their  being  sent  to  the  hospital. 
But  he  would  not  go  there.  It  seems  if  they 
go  to  the  hospital  and  die  there,  their  own 
people  or  caste  will  not  perform  any  funeral 
rites  for  them ; in  fact,  they  often  have  to  be 
buried  before  their  own  friends  even  know  that 
they  are  dead,  so  they  have  a great  horror  of 


CHOLERA. 


81 


going  there.  I feared  that  his  was  one  of  the 
worst  forms  of  cholera,  painless  cholera,  as  it  is 
called,  and  it  proved  so.  Two  of  the  other 
servants  staid  up  all  night  with  him,  but  could 
do  little  for  him.  Very  early  in  the  morning, 
I called  out  of  my  window  to  see  how  he  was. 
They  said  better ; he  had  asked  for  some  sago. 
I hurried  to  dress,  to  go  down  to  see  him,  but 
in  a few  moments  one  of  the  servants  came  to 
say  that  he  was  dying.  I flung  my  dressing- 
gown  round  me  and  went  down,  but  he  was 
already  gone ; poor  old  man,  yesterday  so  well, 
to-day  in  eternity.  Surely  in  this  land  we  may 
well  say,  “ In  the  midst  of  life  we  are  in  death.” 
I had  to  send  for  some  Mussulmans  to  come  and 
bury  him,  and  had  to  pay  them  ten  rupees  for 
taking  him  away.  He  had  a wife  and  children 
somewhere  up  the  country,  so  the  other  ser- 
vants said,  though  they  did  not  know  where. 
He  had  no  money,  nor  other  effects  of  any  kind. 


CHAPTER  FIFTH. 


SHOPPING  AND  SERVANTS. 


HOPPING. — I had  a few  little  purchases  to 


make  for  summer  wear,  and,  as  I was  told 
that  there  was  a native  bazaar  where  they  kept 
every  kind  of  English  goods,  and  sold  them  at 
a far  cheaper  rate  than  at  the  English  shops,  I 
concluded  to  go  there  first  and  see  for  myself; 
particularly  as  it  would  afford  considerable 
amusement.  To  reach  China  bazaar,  the  place 
to  which  we  were  bound,  we  had  to  pass  through 
another  bazaar,  where  they  sold  all  sorts  of 
things  for  the  use  of  the  natives.  Each  little 
shop  is  more  like  a stall,  or  rather  like  an  open 
veranda,  and  the  goods  are  all  displayed  on  a 
succession  of  steps  in  this  veranda;  and  here 
the  shopkeeper  sits  in  the  midst  of  his  goods, 
his  little  stall  being  about  ten  or  twelve  feet 
square.  In  one  stall  you  will  find  all  sorts  of 
native  confectionery — to  our  taste  “horrible,” 
but  the  natives  are  very  fond  of  them.  They  are 


snorriKG. 


83 


mostly  composed  of  sugar,  spices,  and  the  curd 
of  milk.  In  another  stall  you  will  see  oranges, 
figs,  limes,  bananas,  and  cocoa-nuts.  In  a third, 
all  sorts  of  pots  and  pans,  such  as  the  natives 
use.  Another,  perhaps,  will  be  a jeweller.  At 
another  they  will  sell  wood ; this  is  sold  by 
weight.  At  another  stall  they  will  have  vege- 
tables ; and  so  on,  ad  infinitum.  This  will  be 
on  either  side  of  several  long  streets.  There 
are  no  sidewalks,  but  horses  and  carriages,  men, 
women,  and  children,  and  dogs  jostle  each  other 
at  every  step.  The  people  never  seem  to 
trouble  themselves  the  least  to  get  out  of  the 
way  of  the  horses.  They  appear  to  swarm  here 
like  ants ; and  to  think  that  not  one  of  them 
knew  anything  of  a better,  a higher,  and  a 
holier  life,  seemed  terrible.  We  passed  on, 
however,  to  China  bazaar.  Here  the  shops  are 
more  like  our  own,  with  the  goods  all  kept 
stowed  away  in  the  back  part.  But  oh,  what 
a scene  we  beheld ! and,  in  fact,  in  which  we 
had  to  be  a part ; for,  from  the  very  moment 
that  you  turn  into  one  end  of  the  bazaar  till 
you  leave,  you  are  surrounded  by  the  merchants, 
who  rush  from  their  shops  to  extol  their  wares, 


84 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


to  decry  their  neighbors,  and,  if  possible,  seize 
a purchaser  and  drag  her  into  their  shops.  Talk 
of  bedlam  ! you  never  saw  anything  like  this  ; 
scolding,  vociferating,  and  abusing  each  other 
in  Bengali  and  Hindoostani;  then,  in  broken 
English,  each  one  trying  to  attract  the  lady’s 
attention : “ What  you  want.  Ma’am  Sahib  ? 
You  my  old  customer.”  (It  is  the  first  time  the 
lady  has  ever  been  there,  but  no  matter.)  “ This 
your  old  shop.  I got  plenty  nice  things.”  Then 
another  pulls  open  the  ghaine  door  on  the  other 
side  : Ma’am  Sahib,  don’t  you  hear  him.  He 

only  a broker.  He  no  shop  his  own.  I got 
best  goods.  Only  look,  ma’am.  Come  see  !” 
At  length,  to  escape  the  dreadful  din,  you  take 
refuge  in  one  shop,  while  the  disappointed  mer- 
chants will  crowd  round  the  doorway,  waiting 
for  your  reappearance.  Then  you  have  to  sit 
down  and  commence  to  bargain,  for  you  will  be 
asked  twenty-five  rupees  [a  rupee  is  about  46 
cents]  for  what  the  merchant  will  eventually 
take  six.  It  will  be  in  this  way : you  want  a 
piece  of  longcloth  ; you  see  some  you  like,  and 
you  know  the  proper  sum  should  be  about  ten 
rupees  for  the  piece  ; you  ask  the  price.  Mer- 


SHOPPING. 


85 


chant  replies,  quite  boldly : “ Thirty  rupees, 
Ma’am  Sahib.” 

The  lady  says,  “Nonsense,  Baboo.  I am  in 
a hurry.  I will  give  you  ten  rupees.” 

Merchant  (whispering) — “ Ma’am  Sahib,  you 
want  to  know  the  asking  price  or  the  taking 
price  : 

Lady — “ Why,  of  course  I want  to  know  the 
taking  price.” 

Merchant — “ Well,  now,  Ma’am  Sahib,  proper 
taking  price  twenty-five  rupees.” 

Lady — “ Now,  Baboo,  look  here  : I have  no 
time  to  waste.  I will  give  you  ten  rupees ; not 
one  2)ice  (about  a cent)  more.” 

3Ierchant — “ Oh,  Ma’am  Sahib,  that  not  my 
cost  price — now,  twenty  rupees,  no  less.” 

Lady  (rising) — “Very  well.  Baboo;  I must 
go.  I will  not  give  more  than  ten.” 

Merchant  (with  clasped  hands,  imploringly) — 
“ No,  no  ; sit  down,  Ma’am  Sahib.  You  my  old 
customer ; I have  no  good  luck,  you  go  out  of 
my  shop  without  buying  anything.”  Then  in 
a confidential  whisper,  “ I let  you  have  it  for 
fifteen  rupees;  but  don’t  tell  other  ladies.” 

The  lady  persists  in  her  first  offer,  and  finally. 


86 


TALKS  ABOUT  IXDIA. 


after  a little  more  higgling,  she  has  it  at  her 
own  price.  Now,  this  is  amusing  the  first  time 
you  Avitness  it;  but  it  has  to  be  gone  through 
with  every  article  you  buy,  and  every  day,  and 
when  you  feel  that  you  are  wasting  so  much 
time  it  becomes  very  annoying  and  bad  for  you 
if  you  should  be  ignorant  of  the  real  value  of 
any  article  you  may  desire,  for  then  you  are 
sure  to  be  cheated. 

Cabul  Traders. — At  the  cold  season  of  the 
year,  you  meet  a number  of  men  about  the 
streets  Avith  Avalnuts,  dates,  figs,  and  grapes  for 
sale.  The  grapes  are  put  up  in  small  boxes, 
like  our  round  salt-boxes,  Avith  one  or  two  layers 
of  cotton  ; and  each  grape  (AA'hite)  picked  from 
the  stem  and  laid  by  itself  on  the  cotton ; some- 
times there  Avill  not  be  more  than  tAventy  good 
grapes,  but  they  charge  a rupee  a box  for  them. 
The  men,  however,  are  Amry  strange  and 
peculiar,  and  I never  see  them  but  I think 
of  the  Gibeonites  who  came  to  deceive  Joshua. 
They  Avear  Turkish  troAvsers,  a loose,  full  dress, 
Avhich  reaches  to  the  knee,  with  very  large,  full 
sleeves,  all  made  of  a very  coarse  cotton  cloth, 
Avhich  Avas  Avhite  when  it  Avas  first  put  on. 


CABUL  TRADERS. 


87 


Around  the  waist  they  have  a loose  girdle  of 
the  same,  with  long  ends,  and  round  the  head 
several  yards  of  the  same  cloth,  not  made  into 
a turban,  but  twisted  into  rolls,  and  then  wound 
round  the  head  loosely ; hut  between  the  rolls 
will  he  seen  long,  straggling,  bushy  hair.  Their 
beards  and  whiskers  are  long  and  unkempt,  look- 
ing as  if  they  might  be  thoroughly  stocked  Avith 
’ inhabitants.  Their  garments,  they  say,  are  gen- 
erally new  when  they  start  from  home,  but  are 
never  taken  off,  night  or  day,  or  washed  from 
the  time  they  leave  home  till  they  get  l>ack. 
j So  you  may  imagine  what  they  look  like.  I 
! should  think,  from  appearances,  that  the  men 
never  wash  their  faces  or  comb  their  hair  in  all 
j that  time  either.  Their  shoes  are  worn  and 
i!  clouted.  Yet  they  are  a very  large,  athletic 
! race,  and  certainly  would  be  fine  looking  if  they 
I'  were  only  clean.  They  come  down  from  Cobul 
; every  cold  season,  bringing  their  fruit  for  sale 
a long  distance,  over  fifteen  hundred  miles. 

I Formerly  they  used  to  come  all  the  Avay  on 
their  camels,  but  now  they  leave  their  camels 
I up  at  Delhi  or  Allahabad,  and  come  the  rest  of 
I the  way  by  the  railroad. 


88 


TALES  ABOUT  INDIA. 


Cheating. — In  this  country  you  must  be  con- 
stantly on  the  watch  against  petty  depreda- 
tions. The  natives  seem  too  cowardly  to  com- 
mit any  great  theft,  but  small  articles  you  must 
watch.  You  might  leave  your  watch  or  a 
twenty  rupee  piece  about  with  perfect  safety, 
but  a fewjo/ce  (a  pice  is  a copper  coin  of  a little 
less  value  than  a cent),  or  a pocket-handker- 
chief, or  a pair  of  stockings,  or  any  such  thing, 
if  left  about,  would  soon  “ find  legs  and  walk 
off.”  I often  think,  with  these  natives,  of  that 
doggerel  in  Mother  Goose  about  the  Welsh  : 

“ Taffy  was  a Welshman,  Taffy  was  a thief, 

Taffy  came  to  my  house  and  stole  a leg  of  beef ; 

I went  to  Taffy’s  house,  Taffy  was  not  at  home, 

Taffy  came  to  my  house  and  stole  a marrow  bone,”  &c. 

It  is  in  small  peculations  that  they  are  so  expert. 
If  a servant  buys  anything  for  you  he  always 
considers  that  he  must  have  his  distoor  or  cus- 
tom. The  fair  allowance  is  considered  one  anna 
out  of  each  rupee  (there  are  sixteen  annas  in 
a rupee).  Thus,  for  instance,  if  a khansamer 
goes  to  market  he  pays  for  you  for  a piece  of 
meat  three  rupees,  and  the  butcher  gives  him 
three  annas.  Of  course  this  comes  out  of  your 


CHEATING. 


89 


pocket,  for  the  butcher,  knowing  he  has  to  pay 
this,  charges  him  so  much  more  for  the  meat. 
The  cook  buys  the  wood  or  charcoal  for  the 
fire ; he  gets  his  distoor,  or  commission,  on 
that.  The  hearer  buys  the  oil ; he  gets  his 
commission  on  that,  and  so  with  everything. 
This  has  come  now  to  be  such  an  understood 
thing  that  very  seldom  masters  or  mistresses 
make  a complaint  about  it,  as  long  as  they 
only  take  what  is  considered  lawful ; but  it  is 
very  seldom  that  you  find  one  honest  enough 
to  content  himself  with  this.  Perhaps  you  will 
say,  “ Why  do  not  people  make  their  own  pur- 
chases themselves  ?”  You  are  then  worse  off 
still ; for  the  natives  are  all  in  league,  and  they 
will  make  you  pay  far  more  than  your  servants 
charged  you.  You  can’t  help  yourself  This 
is  one  of  the  things  wherein  you  have  to  try 
“ to  possess  your  souls  in  patience.”  But  there 
are  some  other  things  you  must  be  constantly 
on  the  watch  for,  or  you  would  lose  everything. 
The  former  lady  superintendent  of  the  Euro- 
pean orphanage  here  had  to  leave  suddenly, 
and  so  the  ladies  came  to  me  and  urged  that  I 
would  come  and  live  here  just  to  look  after 

7 


90 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


things  a little  till  another  lady  could  come  out 
from  England.  This  institution  is  only  for  the 
orphan  daughters  of  the  British  soldiers,  so  I 
am  here  for  a little  while.  Well,  the  bearer 
here  (by  degrees  you  find  out  all  the  different 
servants,  and  what  they  do ; the  bearer  trims 
lamps,  pulls  the  punkah,  dusts  the  rooms)  is  a 
very  good  natured  man,  but  a great  rogue.  The 
diirmon  is  the  gatekeeper  round  the  large  houses 
or  establishments  here ; there  are  high  walls 
with  iron  gates ; these  walls  enclose  the  house, 
the  gardens,  the  stables,  the  servants’  little 
houses,  &c.,  &c.,  and  it  is  called  the  compound. 
Well,  it  is  the  durmon’s  business  always  to  sit 
at  the  gate,  for  his  little  house  is  there,  and 
see  every  body  who  goes  in  or  out,  and  to 
watch  that  no  servant  steals  or  carries  any- 
thing away.  It  is  a very  responsible  position, 
and  is  often  occupied  by  Brahmins,  as  the  other 
servants  always  will  obey  a Brahmin ; our  dur- 
mon  is  a Brahmin.  To-day  the  durmon  caught 
the  bearer  carrying  off'  a quart  bottle  of  oil, 
under  his  dress.  He  seized  him  just  as  he  got 
outside  the  gate,  and  a policeman,  who  was 
standing  near,  helped  him  to  bring  the  culprit 


PILFERING. 


91 


to  me.  The  poor  fellow  acknowledged  taking 
the  oil,  but  he  made  a most  ingenious  defence. 
He  said  that  each  day  he  was  allowed  to  take 
for  himself  all  the  oil  out  of  the  lamps  that  had 
not  been  consumed  the  previous  night,  there- 
fore he  declared  he  was  not  stealing.  The  ma- 
tron, who  had  to  look  after  the  housekeeping 
(I  had  nothing  to  do  with  that),  had  never  dis- 
covered this  wholesale  pilfering.  The  police- 
man said  of  course  he  must  take  him  to  prison, 
as  he  was  caught  in  the  act.  He  quite  fright- 
ened me  by  flinging  himself  flat  on  the  ground 
and  seizing  tight  hold  of  my  feet,  supplicating 
me  to  plead  for  him.  It  was  with  great  diffi- 
culty I could  get  my  feet  away  from  his  grasp; 
but  though  I felt  very  sorry  for  him,  I could 
do  nothing,  as  the  policeman  saw  him  caught. 
He  was  put  in  prison  for  three  months.  All 
the  servants  would  feel  very  sorry  for  him.  It 
was  no  shame  to  do  the  deed;  to  be  caught  was 
the  only  shame.  Indeed,  it  is  no  easy  work  I 
find  to  keep  house  in  this  country.  In  the 
large  cities  you  very  seldom  buy  or  keep  on 
hand  a store  of  anything,  for  you  have  no  good 
store-room,  and  the  insects  are  so  troublesome. 


92 


TALKS  ABOUT  IKDIA. 


especially  the  little  red  ants,  that,  Ayith  the 
exception  of  a few  things,  such  as  sugar,  cotfee, 
tea,  and  rice,  everything  is  bought  each  day 
for  the  day’s  consumption.  When  it  is  brought 
home  from  the  bazaar  the  housekeeper  must 
see  every  thing  to  observe  that  the  khansamer 
does  not  charge  her  for  things  he  did  not  bring. 
When  the  baker  comes  she  must  count  the 
loaves ; she  must  count  every  pat  of  butter ; 
she  must  have  the  cow  brought  to  the  door  to 
he  milked,  and  give  the  man  her  own  empty 
measure  to  have  it  milked  into,  or  he  would 
bring  too  small  a measure,  and  with  water  in 
it ; then  she  must  sit  by  herself,  or  have  one  of 
the  family  do  so,  to  see  that  he  does  not  put 
water  in  while  he  is  milking.  Then,  if  a horse 
is  kept,  you  must  not  only  measure  out  his  food, 
hut  see  him  eat  it,  else  some  of  it  will  be  stolen ; 
and  when  the  horse  is  shod  you  must  have  that 
done  before  you,  or  they  will  pretend  to  put 
a new  shoe  on  the  horse  and  never  do  it.  In 
fact,  there  is  no  end  to  the  constant  vigilance  a 
housekeeper  has  to  keep  up,  unless  she  is  rich 
enough  to  aftord  to  be  continually  robbed,  and 
would  rather  lose  a good  deal  than  take  all  this 


PILFERING  SER  VANTS. 


93 


trouble.  This  does  make  it  very  hard  for  mis- 
sionaries, for  generally  the  best  servants  are  the 
most  accomplished  rogues,  and  consequently 
they  do  not  like  to  live  with  those  whose  means 
are  small,  a)id  who  are  obliged  to  keep  a strict 
watch  of  their  things.  With  government  offi- 
cials, where  they  are  constantly  giving  large 
dinner  parties,  the  khansamers  generally  be- 
come quite  rich.  A lady  friend  of  mine,  whose 
husband  is  pretty  high  in  office,  told  me  that 
they  had  to  give  dinner  parties  on  an  average 
once  a week.  She  says  : “We  have  a splendid 
khansamer ; he  knows  how  to  get  up  the  most 
beautiful  little  dinner  parties  ; every  thing  will 
be  perfect — the  arrangement  of  flowers,  &c. 
I have  only  to  tell  him  how  many  I expect  to 
have,  and  I know  everything  will  be  done  just 
as  I like,  without  my  needing  to  give  myself 
the  least  trouble.”  (Her  health  is  very  poor,  so 
that  it  is  only  by  the  greatest  care  she  can  live 
in  India.)  “ But,  oh,  his  cheats  are  most  dread- 
ful !”  she  said.  “ What  do  you  think  he  had 
the  impudence  to  tell  me  the  other  day  ?”  she 
continued.  “ I had  been  scolding  him  for  cheat- 
ing me  so,  and  I said  to  him,  ‘Now  look  here, 


94 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


khansamer,  what  I "will  do  if  you  will  promise 
me  that  you  will  not  take  more  than  your  pro- 
per distoor,  one  anna  in  each  rupee  you  spend 
for  me  : I will  just  exactly  double  the  salary  I 
at  present  give  you,  for  I hate  to  feel  I am  be- 
ing cheated  so.’  ” The  khansamer  came  to  her, 
with  hands  put  up  together  and  his  body  bent  in 
most  submissive  attitude,  and  replied,  “Ma’am 
Sahib ! indeed,  Ma’am  Sahib  ! I can’t  do  it. 
Why,  I make  more  than  that  out  of  one  of  your 
dinners.”  “ Think  of  the  man’s  impudence  to 
tell  me  this  !”  “ Well,”  said  I,  laughingly,  “ at 

any  rate,  he  was  honest  there ; hut  what  did 
you  do  ? Surely  you  did  not  keep  him !” 
“Yes,  I did,”  she  replied.  “What  could  I do? 
You  know  how  wretched  my  health  is — that 
the  least  thing  throws  me  on  my  bed,  and  each 
time  the  doctor  threatens  to  send  me  to  Eng- 
land, and,  oh,  I would  rather  do  anything  than 
leave  my  husband.  He  is  obliged,  by  his  offi- 
cial position,  to  have  these  dinner  parties.  I 
am  not  present  at  half  of  them,  hut  he  must 
have  them.  And  when  I told  him  what  the 
khansamer  had  said,  and  that  we  must  send  him 
away,  he  only  laughed  and  said,  ‘ No,  my  dear. 


NICE  JELLY. 


95 


he  does  his  work  well ; you  are  thoroughly 
satisfied  with  that.  If  you  were  to  get  another 
he  would  probably  cheat  you  just  as  much, 
without  your  having  the  same  comfort.  You 
might  be  constantly  troubled,  and  your  health 
is  worth  more  to  me  than  all  he  steals.’  So, 
you  see,  he  is  here  still.” 

I tell  you  this  to  show  you  the  pleasures  of 
housekeeping  in  India. 

Nice  Jelly. — If  you  want  to  be  able  to  eat 
anything  here,  you  had  better  keep  clear  of  the 
cook-room.  That  is  always  out  some  little  dis- 
tance away  from  the  house.  It  is  impossible 
for  any  European  here,  even  of  the  very  lowest 
position,  to  do  their  own  cooking ; the  heat  of 
the^  fire,  with  the  heat  of  the  weather,  would 
' quickly  kill  them ; and  you  really  cannot  super- 
intend it,  as  you  would  faint  in  a very  few 
minutes  in  the  cook-house.  All  you  can  do  is 
to  give  directions ; and  it  is  really  wonderful 
i what  good  dishes  they  will  make,  with  the 
simple  cooking  utensils  they  have.  If  we  were 
; set  down  in  a kitchen  with  the  few  implements 
i they  have,  and  told  to  prepare  a dinner,  we 
I should  say  it  was  impossible.  They  have  no 


96 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


table,  or  chair,  or  stool.  The  cook  sits  on  his 
heels,  and  spreads  a clean  piece  of  matting  on 
the  floor  for  a table.  We  do  not  now  generally 
have  to  teach  the  cooks,  or  in  fact  any  of  the 
servants,  much.  By  their  religion,  every  man 
must  be  of  the  same  calling  as  his  father 
(and  all  the  servants,  except  the  nurses,  are 
men) : even  if  a man  should  have  ten  sons,  if  he 
is  a cook,  they  must  all  be  cooks  ; thus  as  each 
boy  is  old  enough,  the  father  teaches  him  his 
trade  or  profession,  and  when  the  English  first 
came  here  they  taught  the  servants  how  to  do 
things  as  they  liked  them.  The  servants  pre- 
fer, too,  if  they  can,  to  have  places  in  English 
families,  as  they  get  better  paid.  Though  they 
can  make  things  generally  to  taste  pretty  well, 
yet  I should  advise  all,  new  comers  especially, 
to  “ eat  what  is  set  before  them  and  ask  no 
questions,”  not,  as  St.  Paul  said,  “ for  conscience 
sake,”  but  for  their' appetite’s  sake.  A friend 
of  mine  was  telling  me  a little  story  yesterday. 
He  said  that,  a young  officer,  a friend  of  his, 
who  had  not  been  long  in  this  country,  was  up 
the  country  living  in  a tent,  in  a little  out-of- 
the-way  place.  He  had  a Jcitmutgher  (table 


NICE  JELLY. 


97 


servant)  who  could  speak  tolerable  English — a 
necessity  to  him,  as  he  did  not  yet  know  the 
language.  The  young  officer  had  been  quite 
sick  for  several  days  with  low  fever,  and  could 
eat  nothing ; one  day  he  thought  he  would  like 
a little  jelly.  He  had  the  materials  for  making 
it,  so  he  called  the  kitmutgher  and  told  him  to 
make  him  some,  and  began  to  tell  him  how  to 
do  it.  Oh,  I know,  sahib”  (sahib  is  a title  of 
respect  equivalent  to  sir),  know.”  ‘‘Very 
Avell,”  said  the  gentleman,  “ make  me  some,  and 
then  come  to  me  for  a piece  of  flannel  to  strain 
it.”  The  gentleman  forgot  all  about  his  jelly 
till  in  the  evening ; then  he  thought  he  should 
like  some.  He  called  the  servant,  and  said, 
“ Did  you  make  my  jelly  ?”  “ Yes,  sahib,  I go 

bring  him.”  The  gentleman  took  it  and  tasted 
it.  He  said,  “ It  tastes  pretty  good,  but  it  does 
not  look  nice  ; it  ought  to  look  quite  clear ; this 
looks  so  muddy.”  Then,  recollecting  himself, 
he  said,  “ I told  you  to  come  to  me  for  a piece 
of  flannel  to  strain  it;  jelly  can’t  be  clear  and 
good  unless  it  is  strained ; why  did  you  not 
come  to  me  for  the  flannel  ?”  “ Oh,  sahib,  I 

strained  it ; for  true,  sahib,  I strained  it,  sure.” 


98 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


“ But  it  should  have  been  flannel ; I told  you 
to  come  to  me  for  that.”  “ But,  sahib,  I did 
strain  it,  indeed  I did.”  “Well,  come,  I insist 
upon  knowing  what  you  strained  it  through.” 
Still  he  was  tasting  and  tasting  of  the  jelly. 
At  length,  very  reluctantly,  the  servant  an- 
swered, “ Well,  sahib,  I strained  it  through  one 
of  your  stockings.”  The  gentleman  let  the 
glass  of  jelly  fall  from  his  hands,  and  started 
up  in  a rage.  “ Why,  you  rascal,  you !”  he 
exclaimed.  The  poor  frightened  servant  fell 
on  his  knees,  and  joining  his  hands  together  in 
a most  supplicating  attitude,  cried,  “ Oh,  sahib, 
sahib,  don’t  be  angry,  sahib ; it  wasn’t  a clean 
one !”  You  can  imagine  whether  the  rest  of 
that  jelly  was  enjoyed  ! 

*Cruel  Trick. — It  is  an  absolute  necessity  for 
every  European  here  to  have  some  sort  of  con- 
veyance to  go  about  in  the  street.  In  the  first 
place,  no  one  but  natives  are  expected  to  walk, 
and  the  streets  are  not  made  for  them  to  do  so. 
In  the  next  place,  the  heat  of  the  sun  is  so 
intense  that  no  one  would  dare  to  walk  even  a 
few  blocks  in  it,  for  fear  of  sunstroke.  A con- 
veyance is  therefore  as  necessary  as  to  have  a 


TRICKS. 


99 


roof  over  your  head.  But  one  great  comfort  is 
that  it  is  not  very  expensive  to  keep  one.  I 
have  a little  palky  gharrie,  such  as  I have  de- 
scribed, and  such  as  all  the  ladies  use  here  for 
zenana  work,  and  the  food  of  my  horse,  coach- 
man’s wages,  shoeing,  &c.,  or  the  whole  cost,  is 
hut  about  twenty-five  rupees  (not  twelve  and  a 
half  dollars)  a month.  Please  remember  when- 
ever we  speak  of  servants’  wages,  that  we  do 
not  feed  them;  they  provide  their  own  food  out 
of  their  wages,  so  that  the  cost  of  servants  here 
is  very  little.  Well,  to-day  my  old  coachman 
wanted  a holiday,  but  did  not  just  know  how 
to  get  it,  for  a native  never  can  do  anything  in 
a straightforward  way;  instead  of  coming  to 
me  and  asking  right  out  if  I would  spare  him 
a few  hours,  he  thought  that  the  surest  way 
was  to  do  something  to  the  horse  to  make  him 
unfit  to  be  used.  So  he  came  and  told  me  that 
the  horse  had  a very  sore  place  on  one  of  his 
feet,  and  ought  not  to  he  used.  And  as  the  horse 
could  not  be  used,  would  I give  him  a holiday? 
He  thought  I would  tell  him  to  bring  the  horse 
for  me  to  look  at.  I did  not  do  this,  as  he 
expected,  but  told  him  I would  go  out  to  the 


100 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


stable  to  see  the  horse,  and  ordered  him  to  wait 
and  go  with  me.  Directly  he  began  suppli- 
cating and  beseeching  me  not  to  go ; that  the 
sun  would  hurt  me,  that  the  stables  were 
dirty,  &c.  His  entreaties  were  so  earnest  for 
me  not  to  go  that  it  immediately  led  me  to 
suspect  that  something  must  be  wrong.  So  I 
would  not  let  him  go  on  before  me,  but  made 
him  go  right  with  me  to  the  stable.  I soon 
found  his  reason  for  not  wushing  me  to  go  there. 
He  had  tied  a rope  very  tightly  round  one  of 
the  poor  animal’s  hoofs,  and  then  tied  that  fast 
to  a post,  and  the  horse  in  his  efforts  to  get 
loose  had  rubbed  the  skin  off  where  the  rope 
was  tied,  and  of  course  had  a very  sore  spot. 
The  man  had  supposed  that,  instead  of  my 
going  out  to  the  stable,  I would  order  the 
horse  to  be  brought  to  me ; then  he  could 
shoAV  me  the  sore,  and  tell  me  the  horse  had 
kicked  himself.  When  I saw  what  he  had 
done,  you  may  depend  I was  quite  angry, 
and  turned  indignantly  to  the  man.  He  did 
not  attempt  to  make  any  excuse ; he  could 
not,  he  saw  he  was  caught ; but  he  pros- 
trated himself  on  the  ground,  humbly  beseech- 


TRICK  DETECTED. 


101 


ing  my  pardon.  I,  however,  ordered  him  to 
bring  the  poor  animal  round  in  front  of  the 
window  where  1 was  sitting,  and  caused  him  to 
make  a little  wood  fire  there  on  the  ground, 
and  keep  heating  some  water  to  bathe  the  sore 
leg,  and  this  1 made  him  do  all  day  long ; and 
each  time  he  took  fresh  water,  he  had  to  bring 
it  to  me  to  feel  that  it  was  not  too  hot.  So  the 
old  man  did  not  make  much  that  time  by  his 
cruel  and  deceitful  act,  and  I told  him  that  the 
next  time  anything  was  the  matter  wdth  the 
horse  I should  instantly  dismiss  him.  This 
will  make  him  very  careful,  as  they  have  a 
great  dread  of  losing  a good  place. 


CHAPTER  SIXTH. 


MARRIAGES  AND  WEDDINGS. 

Marriage  customs. — in  a former  lit- 
tle book  (Kardoo)  I gave  a description  of 
a wedding  ceremony.  This  is  only  slightly  varied, 
according  to  the  caste  or  different  parts  of  the 
country  where  the  parties  reside.  Marriage  in 
itself  is  looked  upon  in  India  as  an  absolute  ne- 
cessity ; and  a man  who  is  not  married  is  be- 
lieved really  to  be  breaking  a divine  ordinance. 
It  is  supposed  that  when  a Hindoo  dies  the 
spirit  unseen  Avalks  about  the  house  until  some 
of  the  male  members  of  the  family  perform  cer- 
tain funeral  rites ; and  the  soul  can  never  be 
perfectly  happy  unless  those  rites  are  performed 
by  a son.  Hence  their  intense  desire  for  male 
children,  and  the  permission  given  by  the  shas- 
ters  that  if  a man  have  no  children,  or  only 
daughters,  he  may  marry  a second,  or  even  a 
third,  w'ife.  And  a stepson  may  perform  the 


MARRIAGE. 


103 


funeral  rites  for  his  stepmother,  and  they  will 
he  equally  valid. 

There  is  no  fixed  age  at  which  a man  must 
he  married ; but,  if  he  he  a Brahmin,  he  must 
not  be  married  under  twelve  years  of  age.  The 
marriages  of  the  girls,  however,  take  place,  gen- 
erally, between  the  ages  of  five  and  ten.  The 
parties  themselves  have  nothing  to  say  in  the 
matter.  It  is  all  an  arrangement  made  for  them 
by  the  heads  of  their  respective  families.  Thus, 
when  a girl  has  reached  her  fifth  or  sixth  year, 
her  father  engages  a barber — one  belonging  to 
his  own  caste,  and  who  is,  therefore,  well  ac- 
quainted with  all  the  different  families  of  that 
caste — and  he  tells  him  to  look  out  and  find  a 
young  man  of  suitable  position  for  his  daughter. 
When  this  is  done,  the  old  people  of  each  house 
meet  together  to  arrange  matters,  sending  the 
barber  and  barberess  to  examine  the  proposed 
bride  and  groom,  so  as  to  see  if  they  have  any 
personal  defect  or  blemish,  &c.  If  both  parties 
are  satisfied,  they  enter  into  a written  agree- 
ment, respecting  everything  connected  with  the 
marriage.  The  family  priests  draw  up  this 
agreement ; and  an  astrologer  is  called  to  con- 


104 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA, 


suit  the  stars,  that  a propitious  day  may  be  ap- 
pointed for  the  ceremony.  There  is  no  need  of 
any  preparations  for  housekeeping,  as  the  little 
bride  is  always  carried  home  to  her  mother-in- 
law’s  house,  and  a room  there  is  prepared  for 
the  newly-married  pair.  Indeed,  a newly-mar- 
ried wife  there  is  only  just  fit  to  go  to  infant 
school,  instead  of  into  housekeeping.  As  the 
bridegroom  leaves  his  mother’s  house  to  be 
married,  his  mother: — or,  if  she  be  dead,  his  aunt 
— comes  to  him  and  says  : “ My  son,  where  are 
you  going  ?”  He  replies  : “ To  bring  you  a fe- 
male servant,  mother.”  And  such  is,  indeed, 
the  fate  to  which  they  are  brought.  Should 
the  husband  die,  even  a few  days  after  the  mar- 
riage, she  is  condemned  to  perpetual  widowhood 
— a state  of  continual  suffering  and  misery. 
“ A Brahmin  once,  in  conversation  with  Mr. 
Allen,  not  long  since,  said  he  thought  this  prac- 
tice a very  good  one,  and  necessary  to  the  ob- 
jects of  matrimony,  and  particularly  to  the  com- 
fort and  safety  of  the  husband.  Were  it  allowed, 
he  said,  for  a woman  to  marry  a second  time, 
it  wmuld  be  impossible  to  tell  what  excesses  of 
evil  she  might  commit,  when  she  became  dis- 


MARRIAGE. 


105 


satisfied  with  her  present  lot.  She  is  his  cook, 
hut  not  his  companion  at  the  table,  and  would 
find  it  an  easy  matter  to  administer  poison,  quit 
his  house,  forsake  her  children,  and  involve  the 
family  in  distress.  But  while  perpetual  widow- 
hood, accompanied  by  disgrace  and  misery  worse 
than  death  itself,  is  held  out  as  the  only  pros- 
pect of  a wife,  she  is  made  to  feel  that  the  com- 
fort and  preservation  of  her  husband  is  more 
precious  to  her  than  her  life.”  Widows  of  the 
higher  castes  only,  however,  are  prohibited  from 
again  marrying.  We  hear  some  people  talk, 
in  a Christian  land,  of  the  dignity  of  human 
nature ; this  is  human  nature  untaught  by  the 
gospel.  The  Shastras  allow  widows  to  marry, 
if  they  please,  among  nearly  nine-tenths  of  the 
people.  The  ceremony  of  the  second  marriage 
is  more  simple  and  less  expensive  than  that  of 
the  first  marriage. 

Courtship. — I saw  a very  amusing  scene  the 
other  day,  but  I was  obliged  to  hear  my  part 
ill  it  with  becoming  gravity : I was  acting  in  a 
new  role,  that  of  matchmaker.  The  orphan 
girls  are  kept  here  till  they  marry,  which  usually 
takes  place  when  a girl  is  fifteen  or  sixteen. 

8 


106 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


A girl  of  that  age  is  as  old  here  as  one  with  ns 
is  at  nineteen  or  twenty.  The  way  in  which 
the  marriages  are  brought  about  is  this  : Chris- 
tian native  men  come  here,  with  letters  of  recom- 
mendation from  their  clergymen,  asking  to  be 
allow^ed  to  choose  a wife.  We  have  now  only 
three  girls  here  of  the  right  age.  Two  of  them 
most  indignantly  refuse  to  be  married^  and  refuse 
to  see  any  men  who  may  come.  Well,  the  day 
I mention,  a very  nice-looking  young  man  came, 
with  excellent  testimonials  as  to  Christian 
character.  The  two  girls  said  they  would  not 
see  him ; the  third  said  she  would.  I had  to 
take  her  and  perform  a sort  of  introduction. 
They  neither  of  them  spoke  to  the  other.  After 
looking  at  her  for  a few  minutes,  he  said  he 
would  like  to  have  her ; he  said  this  to  me,  not 
to  her.  I then  asked  her  if  she  would  like  to 
have  him ; she  said  “ Yes,”  and  so  the  matter 
was  concluded.  I then  told  the  man  that  I 
would  leave  them  to  talk  to  each  other  a little 
while ; but,  before  five  minutes  were  over,  he 
sent  to  me  to  say  he  was  ready  to  go.  They 
will  be  married  in  about  two  months.  I told 
him  he  might  come  and  see  her  on  Saturday 


MARRIAGE. 


107 


afternoons,  if  he  liked.  He  hardly  thought  it 
would  be  necessary  to  see  her  more  than  once 
before  the  marriage  took  jdace.  Then,  after 
wishing  me  good  morning,  Avithout  speaking  to 
or  looking  at  the  bride-elect,  he  walked  off’. 
Enthusiastic  love-making,  that ! 

Bridal  Procession. — One  evening,  on  coming 
home  from  church,  we  met  a bridegroom  being- 
escorted  to  the  bride’s  house.  There  was  a 
crowd,  carrying  flaming  torches  and  red  and 
blue  lights,  and  making  a great  noise  with  drums, 
trumpets,  &c.  In  the  midst  the  bridegroom 
was  seated,  in  a chair  of  state  Avith  a canopy 
over  it ; the  Avhole  covered  most  gaudily  Avith 
tinsel.  This  was  borne  on  eight  men’s  shoulders. 
Sometimes  he  rides  on  a horse ; or,  up  country, 
on  an  elephant.  Ills  dress  and  hat  appeared 
to  be  of  red  satin,  Avorked  Avitli  gold  thread. 
They  moved  along  very  sloAvly, making  a hideous 
din.  The  torches  Avere  carried  in  a Avay  to 
throAV  as  much  light  as  possible  on  his  person, 
so  he  might  be  Avell  seen.  I found  out  some 
other  things  about  their  marriage  customs. 

A Wedding. — I attended  a Avedding  last  night 
Avhere  the  ceremonies  were  far  more  ridiculous 


/ 


108 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


than  at  the  one  already  described.  It  seems 
that  the  different  castes  conduct  their  religious 
ceremonies  somewhat  alike,  and  yet  with  more 
or  less  superstition.  You  never  know  at  what 
hour  the  bridegroom  may  arrive ; it  depends 
upon  Avhat  hour  the  astrologer  or  family  priest 
may  tell  his  father  is  most  propitious,  and  this 
must  not  be  known  to  any  one  but  the  father, 
or,  in  case  of  his  absence,  to  the  one  who  is  at  the 
time  acting  as  father  to  the  groom.  In  no  case 
must  those  at  the  bride’s  house  know  at  what 
time  he  will  come;  all  they  do  know  is  that  it 
will  be  after  dark.  At  the  other  wedding  I 
attended,  the  bridegroom  had  arrived  before  I 
got  there.  Now  at  this  we  waited  some  time 
before  he  made  his  appearance ; it  must  have 
been  nearly  ten  o’clock ; and  here  again  I was 
struck,  as  I am  so  constantly,  with  the  antiquity 
of  their  customs.  How  they  illustrate  Script- 
ure ! While  I was  talking  to  the  ladies,  sud- 
denly I heard  the  loud  blast  of  a trumpet, 
followed  by  drums,  fifes,  &c.,  then  a great  blaze 
of  light,  which,  even  though  we  were  in  the 
zenana,  came  to  us  by  the  open  court  in  the 
centre.  Then  we  heard  a loud  shout  outside ; 


MARRIAGE. 


109 


this  was  taken  np  by  all  within  the  house,  even 
by  the  women  that  were  with  us.  What  they 
said  was,  ‘‘  Look ! look ! the  bridegroom  conieth ! 
he  comes  !”  I could  only  think  of  the  day  when 
the  Great  Bridegroom  shall  come,  with  the 
sound  of  the  trumpet,  and  the  light  and  the 
sound  shall  pierce  then  even  into  the  gloomy 
prison-house  of  the  grave.  May  we  be  pre- 
pared to  meet  him ! 

Another  Wedding. — Each  time  I go  to  one 
of  their  weddings  here,  I observe  something 
that  did  not  strike  me  before,  and  see  many 
things  that  are  illustrative  of  what  we  read  in 
Scripture.  Yesterday  I was  at  the  wedding  of 
another  of  niy  little  pupils,  and  I find  that 
among  many  of  the  wealthy  people  it  is  the 
custom  at  a wedding,  or  any  other  festival,  for 
everybody  that  is  known  to  the  family  or  their 
servants  to  be  invited,  but  a distinction  is  made 
ill  the  different  parts  of  the  house  where  they 
are  entertained,  according  to  the  different  rank 
of  the  guest,  or  the  degree  of  intimacy  existing 
between  him  and  the  family.  F or  instance,  a 
guest  on  his  entrance  remains  in  the  inner 
court,  that  which  is  in  the  centre  of  the  build- 


110 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


ing,  until  some  member  of  the  family  approaches 
him  and  tells  him  where  to  go.  The  seat  of 
honor  is  in  the  upper  veranda,  just  opposite  the 
god’s  house,  where  most  of  the  ceremonies  take 
place,  and  all  the  rooms  on  that  floor  are  appro- 
priated to  the  Brahmins,  and  to  the  most  in- 
timate friends  of  the  family  and  the  most 
distinguished  guests.  The  lower  rooms  and 
verandas  are  for  the  guests  of  the  second 
quality,  and  the  court  itself  for  the  servants 
and  any  of  the  menial  class  from  outside.  An 
English  lady  went  with  me  to  attend  this  wed- 
ding, and  a young  baboo  of  the  family  came 
forward  at  the  entrance  of  the  court,  as  soon 
as  he  knew  of  our  arrival,  and  most  courteously 
conducted  us  up  stairs  to  the  seat  of  honor  in 
the  veranda.  A moment  afterwards  one  of  the 
elder  gentlemen  of  the  household  was  speaking 
to  me,  when  he  suddenly  interrupted  himself, 
saying,  most  politely,  “ Pardon  me  an  instant, 
madam.”  He  then  called  a servant,  and  point- 
ing down  into  the  court,  said,  “ There  is  Baboo 
Gepal;  go  and  call  him  up  here  directly.” 
Then,  as  he  turned  round,  he  caught  sight  of  a 
man  standing  near  us.  He  looked  at  liim  most 


MARRIAGE. 


Ill 


sternly  from  head  to  foot,  and  then  said,  very 
angrily,  ‘‘  What  are  yon  doing  here,  fellow  ? 
your  place  is  down  there.”  The  man  slunk 
away  most  sheepishly,  amidst  the  laughter  of 
those  around.  I thought  of  our  Saviour’s 
words,  “ When  thou  art  bidden  of  any  man  to 
a wedding,  sit  not  down  in  the  highest  room; 
lest  a more  honorable  man  than  thou  be  bidden 
of  him ; and  he  that  bade  thee  and  him  come 
and  say  to  thee.  Give  this  man  place ; and  thou 
begin  with  shame  to  take  the  lowest  room. 
But  when  thou  art  bidden,  go  and  sit  down  in 
the  lowest  room ; that  when  he  that  bade  thee 
cometh,  he  may  say  unto  thee.  Friend,  go  up 
higher : then  shalt  thou  have  worshij)  in  the 
presence  of  them  that  sit  at  meat  with  thee.” 
(Luke,  14  : 8,  9,  10.) 


CHAPTER  SEVENTH. 


ANIMALS  AND  INSECTS. 


HE  elephant,  wild  or  tame,  has  been  found 


in  all  parts  of  India.  The  wild  ones  fre- 
quent the  forests  and  jungles  of  Malabar  and 
Assam.  The  native  iirinces  formerly  kept  a 
number  of  the  largest  and  best  trained  of  ele- 
phants, and  on  great  state  occasions  caused 
them  to  be  richly  caparisoned,  and  rode  upon 
them.  Elephants  were  also  considered  very 
useful  in  war.  In  the  army  of  one  prince, 
Porus,  who  opposed  Alexander  the  Great  when 
the  latter  invaded  India,  there  were  two  hun- 
dred war  elephants.  The  Rajah  of  Lahore 
opposed  the  invader  Mahmoud  of  Ghuzni  with 
three  hundred  and  fifty  war  elephants ; while 
the  latter  is  said  to  have  brought  into  the  field 
fifteen  hundred  fighting  elephants,  and  to  have 
been  the  possessor  of  about  five  thousand  of 
these  wonderful  animals. 

The  largest  and  fiercest  tigers  in  the  world 


®alhs  about  |nbia. 


The  Serpent  Charmer  of  India.  chap.  vii. 


t 


JiCt 


4 


ANIMALS. 


113 


come  from  the  thick  jungles  in  lower  Bengal, 
and  near  the  months  of  the  Ganges.  These 
are  known  as  the  royal  Bengal  tigers.  The 
hunting  of  these  tigers  was  a favorite  sport 
with  native  princes  and  Europeans,  but  it 
is  a most  dangerous  species  of  amusement. 
More  commonly  the  leopard  is  now  the  game 
sought  by  the  lovers  of  hunting  adventures ; 
but  as  this  animal  is  also  very  fierce  and 
powerful,  the  hunter  often  has  his  anticipate*! 
sport  turned  suddenly  into  the  greatest  peril  to 
limb  and  life. 

The  Ad.jutant. — This  is  a most  singular  bird. 
It  is  of  the  stork  tribe,  and  stands  from  four  to 
five  feet  high  when  it  holds  its  head  erect, 
and,  when  flying  with  outstretched  wings, 
will  measure  thirteen  feet  from  tip  to  tip. 
It  makes  a great  rustling  noise  as  it  passes 
through  the  air.  The  feet  are  placed  so  far 
back  that,  when  standing,  it  is  almost  as  up- 
right as  a man,  and  when  stalking  along  with 
a slow,  measured  tread,  it  very  much  resem- 
bles a little  old  man  with  a swallow-tailed  coat, 
with  his  hands  under  his  coat  tails.  The  breast 
is  white,  and  the  rest  of  the  body,  tail  and 


114 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


wings,  are  of  a glossy  black.  The  neck  is  long 
and  destitute  of  feathers,  with  a long  pouch 
hanging  from  it  like  a long  outside  crop,  in 
which  it  can  deposit  its  food,  such  as  snakes, 
frogs,  fish,  bones,  and  then  devour  them  at 
its  leisure.  Its  bill  is  very  large  and  strong, 
and  from  twelve  to  fourteen  inches  in  length. 
It  makes  its  appearance  in  Calcutta  about  the 
beginning  of  June,  and  is  always  welcomed,  as 
its  coming  is  a sure  sign  that  the  rains  are  not 
far  distant,  and  as  soon  as  the  rains  are  over 
it  takes  its  flight  for  parts  unknown.  Some 
few,  however,  have  become  domesticated  in 
Calcutta,  and  remain  there  all  the  year  round. 
They  rest  upon  the  tops  of  the  highest  build- 
ings, and  sometimes  will  stand  so  motionless 
for  hours  there  on  one  leg,  that  you  might  sup- 
pose that  they  were  pieces  of  sculpture.  As 
they  are  very  good  scavengers,  it  is  a crime, 
punishable  by  law,  to  injure  them. 

Scavengers. — I find  the  principal  scavengers 
of  India  are  the  adjutants,  the  vultures,  the 
crows,  and  the  jackals.  The  adjutants  have 
been  described.  The  vultures  abound  too.  You 
will  generally  find  them  roosting  in  the  neigh- 


sc  A VENGERS. 


115 


borliood  of  the  meat  market,  the  Burning  Ghat 
(the  place  where  the  dead  bodies  are  burnt),  or 
by  the  side  of  the  river  Ganges,  where  people 
bring  the  sick  and  lay  them  down  to  die.  Or 
you  often  see  a group  of  these  hideous  birds 
apparently  floating  down  the  river.  At  first 
you  cannot  understand  what  they  are  resting 
upon,  but  at  length  you  see  what  it  is  that  they 
are  fighting  over.  It  is  the  dead  body  of  a 
poor  Hindoo ; for,  though  the  English  govern- 
ment has  made  a law  now  forbidding  any  body 
or  corpse  to  be  thrown  into  the  river,  yet,  as 
that  river  is  many  hnndreds  of  miles  in  length, 
it  is  impossible  to  watch  it  the  whole  distance, 
and  many  of  the  people  are  so  poor  that  they 
could  not  possibly  find  money  to  buy  the  wood 
for  a funeral  pile.  So  at  night  time,  when  no 
one  is  about,  they  carry  their  dead  down  to 
some  lonely  place  on  the  stream,  and,  after 
singeing  the  face  with  a wisp  of  lighte’d  straw 
(for  they  believe  the  soul  will  not  be  happy 
unless  the  body  has  been  burnt  in  some  way), 
they  throw  it  into  the  river,  and  you  can  gener- 
ally trace  its  course  downwards  by  the  vultures 
which  are  fighting  over  it.  Then,  another  of 


116 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


our  race  of  scavengers  is  the  crow.  These 
little  black  creatures  are  almost  innumerable. 
They  are  the  most  impudent  little  fellows  ima- 
ginable— not  the  least  bit  afraid  of  you.  They 
are  everywhere — on  the  verandas,  the  house- 
tops, the  trees — and  their  little  black,  bright 
eyes  are  ever  on  the  watch.  If  you  turn  your 
l)ack  for  a minute  they  will  fly  in  at  the  open 
window  and  seize  anything  on  the  table.  They 
swoop  down  quickly  and  take  a cake  out  of  a 
child’s  hand  ; and  once,  when  I was  standing 
under  a portico  talking  to  a gentleman — who 
was  patting  a favorite  horse,  and  had  a piece  of 
bread  in  his  hand  to  give  him — he  turned  to 
look  at  me  for  a moment  while  speaking,  and 
a crow  came  down,  snatched  the  piece  of  bread 
out  of  his  hand  and  made  off  with  it.  They 
are  intolerably  impudent,  but  they  are  of 
very  great  use,  as  they  eat  up  all  the  garbage 
or  refuse  that  really  might  breed  disease,  par- 
ticularly in  the  native  part  of  the  town,  for  the 
natives  are  very  uncleanly  in  their  habits. 
What  they  do  for  the  city  in  that  way  by  day, 
the  jackals  do  by  night.  These  animals  are 
very  much  like  a fox — a sort  of  cross  between 


BIRDS  AND  INSECTS. 


117 


the  fox  and  the  wolf.  They  burrow  under 
ground,  and  remain  in  their  holes  by  day,  com- 
ing out  to  seek  their  prey  at  night.  They  go 
in  troops  of  from  twenty  to  thirty.  They  feed 
upon  small  animals  and  carrion.  They  never 
will  attack  man  unless  they  are  mad;  then  their 
bite  will  produce  hydrophobia,  the  same  as  that 
of  a dog.  If  a little  child,  however,  should  be 
found  by  them,  as  is  not  uncommon,  they 
will  eat  it.  There  they  go,  “ making  night 
hideous  ” with  their  yells.  You  could  readily 
imagine  the  noise  was  produced  by  a pack  of 
fiends.  Their  noise  is  awful.  One  begins  with 
a low  wail,  another  takes  it  up  on  a higher  key, 
then  another  and  another,  till  at  last  they  come 
in  with  a full  chorus  of  shrieks  that — well,  it 
cannot  be  described  ! Their  screams  must  be 
heard  to  be  appreciated. 

The  Vermin. — This  is  a very  old  house  we 
are  in.  In  a month  or  two  it  is  going  to  be 
thoroughly  repaired,  for  it  is  inhabited  in  every 
hole  and  corner.  The  vermin  of  all  sorts  and 
kinds  that  are  in  it  are  very  remarkable.  It 
does  not  seem  as  if  I could  possibly  remain 
in  it  till  it  is  repaired.  First  come  the  rats ; 


118 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


they  get  into  every  box  and  drawer,  unless  it 
fits  perfectly  tight.  They  come  into  every 
room,  np  stairs  and  down,  aii4  up  upon  every 
table.  Snakes,  centipedes  and  scorpions  ahonnd 
in  the  compound  and  lower  veranda.  Then  there 
are  lizards  of  all  sorts  and  sizes,  particularly 
those  large,  ugly  ones  called  ‘‘  blood-suckers,” 
running  about  all  over  the  house,  hut  more  par- 
ticularly in  the  dining-room,  to  our  great  dis- 
gust. They  and  the  rats  together  are  under- 
mining the  house.  The  white  ants  are  eating 
all  the  woodwork.  The  jackals  have  a burrow 
under  the  compound,  and  every  night  we  have 
a serenade  from  them  ; and  then,  last  and  least, 
but  by  no  means  least  in  the  discomfort  they 
cause,  the  fleas — well,  they  are  real  pests  ! 
Last  evening,  while  sitting  reading,  I thought 
how  dreadfully  tormenting  the  mosquitoes  were, 
particularly  to  my  feet  (I  had  slippers  on)  ; 
when  I went  into  my  bed-room  I picked  off 
twenty-seven  fleas.  I had  open-wmrked  stock- 
ings on,  so  I suppose  they  came  to  me  the 
more  on  that  account.  Skinning  eels  is  noth- 
ing, they  say,  when  you  are  used  to  it;  per- 
haps some  day  I shall  get  used  to  this.  Down 


PARROTS. 


119 


in  the  children’s  dormitory  there  is  another 
species  of  little  animal ; they  are — oh,  no  ! we 
never  mention  them”  to  ears  polite! — but  at 
night  the  walls  seem  almost  black  with  them. 
It  really  is  something  dreadful.  I suppose  it 
is  those  that  have  brought  so  many  lizards  into 
the  house  to  devour  them.  At  any  rate,  I 
would  rather  have  the  lizards  than  those.  But 
really,  there  are  enough  live  animals  in  the 
house  to  carry  us  off  bodily. 

The  Hindoo’s  Parkots. — I was  reading  an 
account  of  a poor  Hindoo  who  had  two  parrots,  of 
which  he  was  very  fond.  One  day  he  was  seen 
bathing  in  the  Ganges  and  performing  the  same 
kind  offices  for  his  parrots,  ducking  them  under 
again  and  again,  very  much,  apparently,  to  their 
disgust.  Upon  being  asked  why  he  did  so,  he 
replied,  ‘‘  These  birds  have  probably  been  men 
some  time,  and  will  be  men  again.  Now,  if 
bathing  in  the  Ganges  will  be  a merit  to  me, 
and  wash  away  a part  of  my  sins,  why  should 
it  not  be  good  for  them  and  help  them  the  next 
time  they  come  on  earth  ?”  Oh,  how  I longed 
to  teach  that  man  of  the  living  stream  in  which 
he  might  wash  and  be  clean ! 


120 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


Reptiles  and  Insects. — These  classes  of  the 
inhabitants  of  India  every  stranger  Avho  arrives 
has  to  become  acquainted  with,  for  they  will  all 
call  upon  him  more  or  less  frequently  ; and  they 
force  their  company  upon  you  and  care  not 
whether  they  intrude  or  not.  The  insects  cer- 
tainly are  the  pests  of  warm  climates,  but  I sup- 
pose they  have  their  uses.  I have  already  killed 
two  centipedes  and  a scorpion  in  my  bed-room, 
and  now,  just  as  I sat  down  to  write,  I saw  a 
third  centipede  making  its  way  across  the  floor 
towards  me.  In  this  country  they  are  terribly 
ugly -looking  insects — more  like  small  snakes. 
There ! that  fellow  is  dispatched,  and  I have 
put  him  in  a bottle  of  spirits  to  send  home  for 
a curiosity.  He  is  twelve  inches  long,  over  an 
inch  bi’oad,  and  of  a dark-mahogany  color. 
The  sting  of  both  scorpion  and  centipede  here 
is  very  unpleasant,  the  pain  and  smart  lasting 
for  days ; but  it  is  not  fatal.  IIoweA^er,  I do 
not  want  to  make  any  closer  acquaintance  with 
them  than  I have  done.  While  I am  writing, 
an  immense  cockroach  flies  upon  my  book. 
This  is  of  a reddish-brown  color,  from  two  to 
three  inches  long,  and  the  most  disgusting  and 


INSECTS. 


121 


disrespectful  of  animals,  for,  as  if  in  utter  con- 
tempt of  your  opinion,  they  will  fly  in  your 
face,  and  flap  their  broad  wings  against  your 
nose  in  derision ; they  have  not  the  slightest 
respect  for  your  dignity.  And  just  think  how 
discouraging  ! you  have  been  sitting  biting  your 
pen,  hoping  to  be  able  to  remember  some  inci- 
dent, so  that  you  may  (as  kind  friends  at  home 
continually  suggest  to  missionaries)  interest 
people  in  mission  work,  and  you  are  just  prid- 
ing yourself  on  getting  hold  of  some  brilliant 
practical  idea,  with  which  you  are  going  to 
wind  off  in  a well-turned  period,  when  flop ! 
comes  one  of  these  little  beasts,”  as  the 
Frenchman  called  them,  right  in  your  eye ! 
Down  drops  your  pen  directly,  and  up  goes 
your  hand  to  protect  your  face,  for  it  gener- 
ally gives  you  two  or  three  buffets  before 
it  is  routed.  When  it  goes  it  generally 
leaves  you  a souvenm  on  everything  it  has 
touched  to  remind  you  of  it,  namely,  a strong 
odor — well,  it  is  not  the  attar  of  roses ! but, 
alas ! alas ! it  has  carried  off  all  your  beauti- 
ful thoughts.  For,  only  fancy  the  absurdity 
of  sublime  and  beautiful  thoughts  and  cock- 


122 


TALES  ABOUT  INDIA. 


roaches  together  ! So,  good  friends,  when  mis- 
sionaries’ ideas  are  not  expressed  with  exqui- 
site sublimity  and  pathos,  attribute  it  to  the 
cockroaches,  not  to  want  of  talent  on  their  part. 

Ants. — If  Solomon  had  lived  in  this  country 
he  would  not  have  needed  to  say,  “ go  to  the 
ant,  thou  sluggard;  consider  her  ways,  and  be 
wise,”  because  one  here  has  only  to  lie  quietly 
still  in  his  bed,  or  to  lounge  at  his  dinner-table, 
and  the  ants  will  come  to  him  by  scores, 
of  all  sorts  and  sizes,  and  he  can  study  them 
at  his  leisure.  They  will  soon  make  their 
presence  and  employments  known  to  him,  and 
they  will  be  perceptible  to  more  senses  than 
one.  Last  night  I was  advised  to  put  a little 
cocoa-nut  oil  on  my  head,  as  it  would  pre- 
vent my  hair  from  falling  out  so  much.  But  I 
shall  never  try  that  experiment  again.  I was 
awakened  in  the  night  with  an  intense  itching 
in  my  head  and  aU  over  my  body,  and  all  night 
long  I was  distressed  with  it.  I thought  I had 
prickly  heat  of  the  very  worst  kind.  This 
morning,  as  soon  as  it  was  light  enough  to  see, 
I found  that  there  were  swarms  of  the  little 
red  ants  in  my  bed,  and  two  or  three  regular 


ANTS. 


123 


processions  of  them  to  my  pillow.  My  head 
was  full  of  them,  and  it  was  not  until  I had  taken 
a thorough  hot  bath,  and  washed  my  head  well, 
that  I could  get  rid  of  them.  I cannot  under- 
stand this  either,  as  the  natives  constantly  use 
cocoa-nut  oil  on  their  heads,  yet  they  say  the 
ants  do  not  trouble  them. 

White  Ants. — I made  acquaintance  with  an- 
other little  insect  the  other  day,  in  a manner 
that  was  not  very  agreeable.  I had  bought 
some  white  muslin  to  make  me  a dress,  and  it 
was  cut  out  and  partly  made  j but  I had  no 
time  just  then  to  finish  it,  so  I put  it  away  in 
a wooden  box  in  my  bath-room,  and  it  was  full 
two  weeks  before  I could  get  it  out  again,  just 
to  finish  off  the  little  that  wanted  doing  to  it — 
putting  on  buttons ; but  when  I opened  the 
box,  what  a sight  Diet  my  eyes ! The  dress 
which  I had  so  recently  purchased  was  riddled 
through  and  through  with  small  holes — you 
would  almost  have  thought  it  a piece  of  lace- 
work — and  as  I attempted  to  take  it  up,  it 
literally  dropped  in  pieces.  I hardly  knew  at 
first  which  to  do,  to  laugh  at  the  ridiculousness 
of  the  thing  or  to  cry  at  the  disappointment. 


124 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


for  I really  wanted  the  dress  to  put  on ; at  first 
I could  not  imagine  what  had  done  it,  but  upon 
calling  a servant  to  look,  he  immediately  ex- 
claimed, White  ants ! white  ants  /”  and  upon 
looking  farther  in  the  box,  1 discovered  a 
number  of  almost  transparent  white  worms  or 
maggots  (I  should  never  have  taken  them  for 
ants),  and  the  bottom  of  the  box  was  perforated 
through,  like  the  dress.  The  box  was  on  the 
brick  floor  of  the  bath-room,  and  I should  never 
have  dreamed  of  their  getting  to  that,  but  it 
seems  nothing  is  safe  from  them.  Their  prin- 
cipal abodes  are  under  the  earth,  and  they 
never  come  out  of  those  places  except  as  each 
one  carries  with  him  a small  piece  of  mud  in 
his  mouth ; with  this  they  build  a small  covered 
way  before  them,  until  they  reach  the  place 
Avhere  they  commit  their  depredations.  Then, 
under  this  covered  way,  they  pass  to  and  fro, 
carrying  what  they  have  obtained  to  their 
homes.  If  they  cross  a floor  or  go  up  a wall 
they  have  this  covered  way,  and  it  is  often 
so  small  that  it  entirely  escapes  observation ; 
nothing  but  constant  sweeping  and  dusting  will 
keep  them  away,  and  no  wooden  box,  unless  it 


AXTS. 


125 


is  placed  upon  stones  or  on  water,  should  he 
left  in  one  place  more  than  a day  or  two.  The 
large  pieces  of  furniture  must  be  upon  rollers, 
and  the  chairs  constantly  moved  about,  for  the 
ants  will  come  up  between  the  bricks,  where  they 
are  joined  together  under  the  bottom  of  a box, 
and  in  a few  hours  they  will  eat  through  the 
hardest  wood  and  destroy  everything  in  the 
box.  Nothing  escapes  them — silk,  linen,  cotton, 
leather,  books — everything  they  will  attack  but 
metal.  How  they  find  out  where  the  things 
are  is  a marvel,  for  you  never  see  one  of  them 
out  on  an  exploring  expedition,  as  you  do  the 
other  species  of  ants.  They  must  always  go 
in  the  dark,  and  under  cover  of  their  galleries. 
Sometimes  in  one  night  they  will  build  one  of 
these  galleries  several  yards  in  length,  going 
all  the  way  from  the  floor  to  the  ceiling.  If 
you  break  this  gallery,  you  will  find  a great 
many  of  these  little  creatures  hurrying  back- 
ward and  forward,  some  with  mud  in  their 
mouths  to  lengthen  the  gallery,  others  with 
wood  or  cotton,  or  whatever  substance  they 
have  been  committing  their  depredations  on, 
carrying  it  back  to  their  nest;  but  the  very 


126 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


instant  you  break  their  gallery  they  are  much 
frightened,  for  the  moment  they  are  exposed 
they  are  seized  by  the  small  red  ants  (which 
we  also  have  here  in  millions,  always  roaming 
round  in  search  of  prey),  who  carry  them  off  to 
their  holes  to  devour  them.  The  white  ants 
have  soft  bodies,  which  the  little  red  ants  can 
easily  get  hold  of,  and  they  have  no  power  to 
defend  themselves.  If  the  white  ants  succeed 
in  making  a gallery  to  one  of  the  rafters  of  the 
ceiling  undiscovered,  they  may  eat  one  end  of 
the  beam  entirely  away,  leaving  nothing  but 
a shell,  as  they  will  never  work  out  to  the 
light.  Then  in  some  unlucky  moment  that 
rafter  may  fall  upon  your  head,  without  your 
having  been  in  the  least  aware  that  it  was  at 
all  unsound.  This  it  is  that  necessitates  the 
constant  watching  of  the  houses  in  India.  An 
architect  has  to  come  every  two  or  three  years 
to  examine  every  beam,  to  see  if  it  is  sound. 
Thus  the  rafters  of  all  the  ceilings,  even  in  the 
most  elegant  houses,  are  all  exposed  to  view, 
so  that  they  may  be  always  watched ; for 
though  this  little  insect  is  so  small,  it  is  one 
of  our  most  destructive  foes.  We  learn  here 


INSECTS. 


127 


that  moth  and  rust  cloth  corru^jt,  and  thieves 
break  through  and  steal.” 

Mosquitoes. — The  Brahmins  think  that  it  is 
a dreadful  sin  to  take  animal  life.  Even  to 
kill  the  smallest  insect  accidentally  is  a great 
crime.  It  is  very  well  for  me  that  I am  not  a 
Brahmin — for,  oh!  what  penances  I should  have 
to  endure.  I am  very  fond  of  animal  food,  but 
I like  it  w^ll  cooked  and  prepared,  and  though 
my  propensities  are  carnivorous,  they  are  by 
no  means  insectivorous.  Yet  I am  often  com- 
pelled to  swallow  animal  food,  and  that  not  only 
uncooked  but  often  alive  1 Sometimes,  of  an 
evening,  the  air  is  so  full  of  mosquitoes  that,  if 
you  draw  a long  breath,  or  gape,  you  will  draw 
two  or  three  in  with  the  air  that  you  inhale. 
They  stick  at  the  back  of  the  throat,  give  you 
a fit  of  coughing,  and  you  finally  get  rid  of  them 
by  swallowing  them — by  no  means  pleasant  1 
The  multitudes  of  mosquitoes  are  almost  be- 
yond belief ; they  are  in  swarms  like  flies,  espe- 
cially at  some  seasons  of  the  year.  I find  one 
can  never  sleep  all  the  year  round  without  a 
mosquito-net;  and  you  must  see  that  that  is 
well  tucked  in  under  the  mattress.  Then,  as 


128 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


you  get  in  you  must  lift  it  very  carefully,  or 
you  will  have  hundreds  accompan}^  you,  which 
will  prevent  any  repose.  You  must  watch  care- 
fully, too,  that  no  little  hole  has  been  torn  by 
your  dhali  (or  washerwoman),  for  if  there  is 
one  only  as  large  as  the  top  of  your  little  finger, 
these  expert  little  things  will  find  their  way 
through  in  crowds. 

Lizaed’s  Eggs. — Last  evening  one  of  the 
children  (the  orphans)  brought  to  me  a number 
of  eggs,  and  asked  me  what  bird’s  eggs  they 
were.  I told  her  I could  not  tell,  and  asked 
her  where  she  had  found  them.  They  were 
about  the  size  of  a pigeon’s  egg,  and  were  quite 
soft  and  warm.  She  said,  “ I was  digging  at 
the  root  of  a tree,  and  found  them  in  the 
ground.”  One  of  the  other  children  took  one 
in  her  hand,  and,  squeezing  it  slightly,  gave  a 
loud  shriek,  for  a live  creature  came  out.  At 
first  I thought  it  was  a little  snake,  but  upon 
examining  it  I saw  it  had  legs.  We  found  then 
that  it  was  a young  blood-sucker — a very  large, 
ugly  species  of  lizard — with  a head  of  a deep 
brick-red  color,  the  body  a dingy  black.  It  has 
a very  long  tail,  and  is  said  to  destroy  sheep 


ANIMALS. 


129 


and  goats  by  sucking  their  blood  when  they 
are  asleep,  particularly  the  young  of  those  ani- 
mals. I do  not  know  whether  this  is  true  or 
not,  but  the  natives  believe  it.  There  is  an- 
other very  much  smaller  species  of.  lizard,  that 
often  lives  inside  our  houses,  and  eats  flies, 
ants,  and  similar  insects.  They  are  about  as 
long  as  a man’s  little  finger  and  of  a brown  color, 
with  bright  little  beads  of  black  eyes.  There 
is  one  little  fellow  that  pays  me  a visit  every 
evening.  I have  quite  got  used  to  him,  and 
rather  like  him.  A few  minutes  after  the  lamp 
is  lighted  he  makes  his  appearance  on  the  wall 
near  by  (where  he  comes  from  I cannot  tell), 
and  there  he  stays,  lying  in  wait  for  his  prey 
— the  numerous  little  insects  that  are  always 
attracted  by  the  light  and  many  of  whom  settle 
on  the  wall.  It  really  is  quite  amusing  to  see 
him  catching  them.  This  morning  the  gardener 
brought  me  a large  blood-sucker.  It  has  coarse 
hair  or  bristles  standing  up  on  the  back  part 
of  its  head  and  neck.  It  is  about  ten  inches 
long,  from  its  nose  to  the  root  of  its  tail,  and 
then  its  tail  is  a good  deal  longer  than  its  whole 
body.  It  is,  indeed,  an  ugly  animal. 


CHAPTER  EIGHTH. 


‘ CHURUCK  POOJA,  OR  HOOK-SWINGING. 

W 0 days  ago  was  the  festival  of  the  Churuck 


Pooja,  or  Hook-swinging.  The  government 
has  i:)ut  a stop  to  this  being  done  now  in  the 
public  streets  of  Calcutta,  but  they  cannot  pre- 
vent its  being  done  on  persons’  own  premises, 
if  they  choose  so  to  torture  themselves.  From 
very  early  this  morning  we  were  annoyed  by 
an  incessant  clamor  of  drums,  trumpets,  gongs 
and  bells,  from  a native  village  at  the  back  of 
our  house.  It  was  Sunday,  and  coming  back 
from  church  I found  myself  in  a dense  crowd, 
so  that  the  palkie  could  not  move  on.  Upon 
looking  out  to  see  what  was  the  matter,  I saw 
a man  who  had  been  going  through  the  torture 
of  the  hook-swinging,  and  not  content  with  that 
he  was  adding  to  his  torture,  and  receiving  the 
plaudits  of  the  multitude.  He  wms  now  being- 
taken  home  by  his  friends,  and  they  had  passed 
ropes  through  the  holes  in  his  back,  and  Avere 


110  OK-S  WINGING. 


131 


drawing  him  through  the  streets  by  them.  It 
was  a sickening  sight,  and  almost  made  me 
faint  even  to  see  it.  It  is  the  belief  of  the 
Hindoos  that  the  only  way  really  to  obtain  the 
favor  of  the  gods  is  by  self-inflicted  suflerings. 
This  is  shown  in  all  their  religious  ceremonies. 
A gentleman  told  me  that  he  had  seen  a man 
offer  a prayer  to  Siva,  standing  on  his  head. 

The  Churuck  takes  place  about  the  fifteenth 
of  IMarch.  It  is  in  honor  of  the  god  Siva  and 
his  wife  Kuli.  About  the  first  of  the  month  a 
number  of  men  come  to  the  temple  of  the  god, 
and  proclaim  that  they  are  going  to  make  skun- 
nasJiees,  or  victims,  of  themselves.  From  that 
time  they  are  fed  by  the  offerings  which  are 
brought  to  the  temple,  and  then  they  continu- 
ally bathe  and  oil  their  bodies,  whilst  they  are 
thinking  over  and  planning  new  forms  and 
modes  of  torturing  themselves.  These  shun- 
nashees  are  generally  fropi  the  lowest  castes, 
who  do  these  things  hoping  to  gain  so  much 
merit  by  them  that  the  next  time  they  return 
to  this  world  it  may  be  as  a Brahmin.  It  is 
seldom  that  a Brahmin  will  inflict  these  tortures 
on  himself,  as  he  already  considers  himself  very 


132 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


holy,  but  he  will  do  everything  he  possibly  can 
to  encourage  others  in  self-torture.  They  are 
of  those  who  lay  heavy  burdens  upon  men’s 
shoulders,  but  will  not  touch  them  themselves^ 
with  one  of  their  fingers.  On  the  day  before 
the  regular  Pooja,  some  of  these  men  begin  the 
suffering  by  making  holes  and  then  passing 
bamboos  through  their  arms,  legs  and  tongues ; 
then  taking  out  the  bamboo,  they  will  pass  a 
live  snake  through  the  tongue.  Then  they  will 
go  to  the  houses  of  some  of  the  rich  native 
gentlemen  and  dance,  and  they  will  give  them 
a little  money.  A native  gentleman  thus  de- 
scribes this  Pooja : 

“ In  the  morning  all  the  shim-nashees  go  to 
bathe,  and  after  rubbing  themselves  wdth  cocoa- 
nut  oil  the}"  assemble  in  front  of  the  temple 
where  the  Jhap  is  to  be  performed.  Here  a 
sort  of  platform  is  erected  on  bamboos,  or  rather 
three  platforms,  one  above  the  other ; the  high- 
est one  is  generally  from  twenty-five  to  thirty 
feet  high.  The  devotees  who  are  to  go  through 
this  performance  climb  up  the  bamboos,  and 
stand  on  the  different  platforms,  the  spectators 
standing  all  round.  At  either  side  of  the  plat- 


no  OKS  WINGING. 


133 


form  are  beds — one  of  fire,  the  others  some  sort 
of  mattresses  stuffed  with  leaves,  dry  grass,  &c., 
and  then  knives  and  spikes  placed  upright  in 
them ; the  devotees  then  jump  down  one  after 
another  upon  them,  and  as  they  fall  they  scatter 
raw  rice,  bananas  or  flowers  upon  the  crowd 
below,  which  is  eagerly  sought  for  and  each 
scrap  highly  prized.  This  is  all  done  amid  the 
deafening  shouts  of  the  crowd  and  the  sound 
of  the  trumpets.  Sometimes  these  poor  devo- 
tees are  very  much  cut  and  injured,  but  always 
afterwards  they  are  holy  beggars,  and  it  is  a 
great  act  of  merit  to  give  to  them.  On  the 
afternoon  of  that  day  the  hook-swinging  com- 
mences ; before  going  to  this,  the  devotees  ask 
permission  of  the  god,  and  he  grants  it  by 
giving  a nod,  but  this  nod  is  only  seen  by  the 
priests.  They  then  put  some  flowers  on  the 
head  of  the  idol,  and  if  one  falls  down  it  is  in- 
terpreted as  the  god’s  permission  being  given 
for  them  to  begin.  Sometimes,  however,  the 
flowers  do  not  fall;  then  the  priests  say  the 
god  is  angry — that  one  of  the  devotees  must 
have  broken  the  rule  which  commands  them 
all  to  fast  on  that  day — that  one  of  them  must 


134 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


have  eaten  or  drunk  something,  and  therefore 
Siva  will  not  accept  them  till  they  have  been 
punished.  The  priests  therefore  take  hold  of 
the  devotees,  bind  them,  and  then  severely 
beat  them  in  front  of  the  idol.  The  air  stirred 
by  this  beating  will  often  cause  a flower  to  flill. 
Then  all  is  right;  they  will  dance  round  the 
temple,  clap  their  hands,  embrace  and  shout. 
They  then  form  a procession  and  march  to  the 
Churuck  Garcli  (or  swinging  tree).  This  is  a 
very  long  wooden  pole  set  up  perpendicularly, 
with  one  end  deep  in  the  ground,  and  another 
beam  like  the  main  yard  of  a ship  on  its  top ; 
this  can  be  turned  round  either  way.  Then  a 
man,  one  of  these  poor,  besotted  devotees,  lies 
down  on  the  ground,  while  another  draws  up 
the  flesh  under  the  shoulder  blades,  and  then 
the  blacksmith  forces  two  iron  hooks  through 
the  flesh ; sometimes  the  hooks  are  more  than 
ten  inches  long.  Occasionally  you  will  see  one 
man  with  greater  powers  of  endurance,  who 
will  have  four  hooks  passed  through  different 
portions  of  his  body,  to  show  his  greater  love 
for  the  god ; there  are  then  strong  cords  fast- 
ened to  the  hooks,  and  the  man  is  drawn  up  to 


HOOK-SWINGING. 


135 


one  end  of  the  beam.  To  keep  the  balance,  a 
man  hangs  to  the  rope  which  is  attached  to 
the  other  end  of  the  beam.  Thus  hung,  the 
victim  turns  round  the  ‘ SAvinging  tree’  from 
ten  to  fifteen  minutes,  then  he  is  released,  and 
another  takes  his  place. 

‘‘  Once,  in  my  grandmother’s  village,  a scene 
more  terrible  than  even  this  occurred  : a man 
swung  round  the  pole  nearly  fifteen  minutes, 
with  his  head  doivnwards  and  four  hooks  in  his 
flesh.  His  long  hair  was  waAdng  in  the  air,  and 
his  hands  were  beating  a drum  which  was  hung 
round  his  neck.  It  is  true,  he  did  not  make 
very  good  music.  As  each  victim  comes  down 
from  the  ‘ swinging  tree,’  he  receives  the  bless- 
ing of  the  priest,  Avho  gives  him  a flower  from 
the  god’s  head  as  a holy  relic.  These  men  are 
generally  coolies,  who  often  return  to  their 
work  in  a few  days,  as  soon  as  their  wounds  are 
healed.  They  do  this  hoping  to  please  their 
gods,  and  so  lay  up  a store  of  merits  which  will 
help  them  in  the  other  world.” 

Oh,  Christian  friends  ! should  not  these  poor 
heathen  teach  us  a lesson  of  diligent  effort  to 
please  our  God  ? During  the  time  of  these 


136 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


tortures,  the}^  continue  the  hideous  din  of  drums, 
trumpets,  and  tom-toms,  to  prevent  the  least 
sound  of  a moan  or  groan  being  heard,  because 
it  is  considered  that  these  sufferings  will  not  he 
acceptable  to  their  gods  if  they  complain  or 
murmur  under  them.  The  gods  require  that 
these  things  should  be  done  voluntarily  and 
cheerfully ; that  they  must  not  think  of  the 
present  sufferings,  but  look  to  the  benefit  or  re- 
ward that  they  hope  to  obtain  thereby. 

There  is  one  peculiarity  which  I have  found 
to  exist  during  the  time  the  devotees  are  pre- 
paring for  and  enacting  this  Pooja.  All  the 
devotees  seem  joined  together  like  a band  of 
brothers.  They  exhibit  an  affection  for  each 
other  that  they  would  never  dream  of  at  any 
other  time.  If  one  of  the  band  should  die  during 
the  time,  all  put  on  mourning  according  to  the 
Hindoo  custom.  An  insult  to  one  is  felt  by  all; 
for  do  they  not  all,  for  the  time,  belong  to  Siva  ? 
They  look  upon  the  badge  they  wear  round 
their  necks  as  a sign  of  brotherhood.  They  will 
not  eat  together  or  drink  together,  because  they 
are  of  different  castes ; but  in  all  else,  for  the 
time  being,  they  are  brothers.  The  command 


no  OK-S  WINGING. 


137 


to  Christians  is,  “ Love  as  brethren,”  and  “ By 
this  shall  all  men  know  that  ye  are  my  dis- 
ciples, if  ye  have  love  one  to  another.” 

Another  account  of  this  festival  is  taken  from 
the  pen  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Duff,  the  venerated 
missionary  of  the  Free  Kirk  of  Scotland,  as  it 
was  witnessed  in  the  streets  of  Calcutta,  not 
more  than  twenty-five  years  ago.  He  says  : 
‘‘  This  festival  is  held  in  honor  of  Siva  and  his 
consort.  Kali.”  After  describing  the  hook- 
swinging, as  above,  he  says  : This  is  regarded 

as  one  of  the  holiest  of  acts,  and  the  longer  a 
man  can  endure  the  torture  the  greater  the 
pleasure  conveyed  to  the  deity  whom  he  serves, 
and  consequently  the  brighter  his  prospect  of 
future  reward.  Of  these  swinging  posts  there 
are  hundreds  and  thousands  simultaneously  in 
operation  in  the  province  of  Bengal.  On  one 
tree  from  five  to  ten  or  fifteen  may  be  swung 
in  the  course  of  a day.  They  are  always  erected 
in  the  most  conspicuous  parts  of  the  towns  and 
villages,  and  are  surrounded  by  vast  crowds  of 
noisy  spectators.  On  the  very  streets  of  the 
native  city  of  Calcutta  many  of  these  horrid 

swings  are  annually  to  be  seen,  and  scores 

10 


138 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


around  the  suburbs.”  He  adds  : “ At  night 
numbers  of  the  devotees  sit  down  in  the  open 
air  and  pierce  the  skin  of  their  foreheads,  and 
in  it,  as  a socket,  place  a small  rod  of  iron,  to 
which  is  kept  suspended  a lamp  that  is  burning 
till  the  dawn  of  day,  while  the  lamp-bearers  re- 
hearse the  praises  of  their  favorite  deities.  Be- 
fore the  temple,  bundles  of  thorns  and  other 
fire-wood  are  accumulated,  among  which  the 
devotees  roll  themselves  uncovered.  The  ma- 
terials are  next  raised  into  a pile  and  set  on 
fire.  Then  the  devotees  briskly  dance  over  the 
burning  embers,  and  with  their  naked  hands 
hurl  them  into  the  air  and  at  each  other.  Some 
have  their  breasts,  arms,  and  other  parts  stuck 
entirely  full  of  pins  about  the  thickness  of  small 
nails  or  packing  needles.  But  it  were  needless 
to  pursue  the  diversity  of  these  self-inflicted 
tortures  in  all  their  details.  There  is  one,  hoAV- 
ever,  of  so  singular  a character  that  it  must  not 
be  left  unnoticed.  Some  of  these  deluded  vo- 
taries enter  into  a vow.  With  one  hand  they 
cover  their  under  lips  with  a layer  of  wet  earth 
and  mud ; on  this  they  deposit  some  small 
grain,  usually  of  mustard  seed.  They  then 


no  OK-  S WINGING. 


139 


stretch  themselves  flat  on  their  hacks,  exposed 
to  the  dripping  dews  by  night  and  the  blazing 
sun  by  day.  And  their  vow  is,  that  from  that 
fixed  position  they  will  not  stir — will  neither 
move  nor  turn,  nor  eat  nor  drink — till  the  seeds 
planted  on  the  lips  begin  to  germinate.*  This 
vegetable  process  usually  takes  place  on  the 
third  or  fourth  day ; after  which,  being  released 
from  their  vow,  they  arise,  as  they  imagine  and 
believe,  laden  with  a vast  accession  of  holiness 
and  supererogatory  merit.” 

Dr.  Duff  then  describes  the  city  of  Calcutta, 
and  a visit  he  once  made  to  witness  the  Pooja 
again.  I give  you  his  own  words  : ‘‘  To  the 
south  of  Calcutta  is  a spacious,  level  plain,  be- 
tween two  and  three  miles  in  extent,  and  a 
mile  and  a half  in  breadth.  On  the  w'est  it  is 
washed  by  the  sacred  Ganges,  on  whose  mar- 
gin, about  the  middle  of  the  plain,  Fort  William 
rears  its  battlements.  Along  the  north  is  a 
magnificent  range  of  buildings  — the  supreme 
court,  the  town  hall,  and,  in  the  centre,  the 
government  house.  Along  the  whole  of  the 


* I have  seen  this  even  within  the  last  three  years. — H.G.B. 


140 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


eastern  side,  at  short  intervals,  is  a succession 
of  palace-like  mansions,  occupied  as  the  abodes 
of  the  most  opulent  European  residents.  In 
front  of  this  range,  facing  the  west,  and  between 
it,  therefore,  and  the  plain,  is  the  broadest  and 
most  airy  street  in  Calcutta,  well  known  under 
the  name  of  Chowinghee.  Chiefly  to  the  north 
of  the  plain,  and  beyond  the  ranges  of  European 
offices  and  residences,  lies  the  native  city, 
stretching  its  intricate  mass  of  narrow  lanes 
and  brick  houses,  and  hive-like  bamboo  huts, 
over  an  extent  of  many  miles,  and  teeming  with 
over  half  a million  of  human  beings.  At  a 
short  distance  from  the  southeast  corner  of  the 
plain,  across  a narrow  belt  of  low,  suburban  cot- 
tages, lies  the  celebrated  temple  of  Kali-Ghat. 
The  grand  direct  thoroughfare  towards  it,  from 
the  native  city,  is  along  Chowinghee  road. 
Thither,  before  sunrise  on  the  morning  of  the 
great  day  of  the  Churuck  festival,  we  once 
hastened  to  witness  the  extraordinary  spectacle. 

From  all  the  lanes  and  alleys  leading  from 
the  native  city,  multitudes  were  pouring  into 
the  Chowinghee  road.  The  mere  spectators 
could  easily  be  distinguised  from  the  special 


no  OKS  WINGING. 


141 


devotees.  The  former  were  seen  standing  or 
walking  along,  with  eager  gaze,  arrayed  in  their 
gayest  holiday  dress,  exhibiting  every  combina- 
tion and  variety  of  the  snow-white  garb  and 
tinsel  glitter  of  Oriental  costume.  The  latter 
came  marching  forward  in  small,  isolated  groups, 
each  group  averaging  in  number  from  half  a dozen 
to  twelve  or  fifteen.  Most  of  the  party  had  thin 
loose  robes,  and  foreheads  plentifully  besprink- 
led with  vermilion  or  rose-pink.  Two  or  three 
of  them  decked  in  speckled  or  party-colored 
garments  were  uttering  ludicrous,  unmeaning 
sounds,  and  playing  off  all  sorts  of  antic  gestures. 
Two  or  three  had  garlands  of  flowers  hanging 
about  their  necks  or  tied  round  their  heads  ; 
these  have  their  sides  transpierced  with  iron 
rods,  which  project  in  front  and  meet  at  an  an- 
gular point,  to  which  is  affixed  a small  vessel 
in  the  form  of  a shovel.  Two  or  three,  covered 
with  ashes,  carry  in  their  hands  iron  rods  of 
different  lengths,  small  bamboo  canes  or  hookah 
tubes,  hard,  twisted  cords,  or  living  snakes, 
whose  fangs  had  been  extracted.  Two  or  three 
more  are  the  bearers  of  musical  instruments — 
horned  trumpets,  gongs,  tinkling  cymbals,  and 


142 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


large  hoarse  drums,  surmounted  by  towering 
bunches  of  black  and  wliite  ostrich  feathers, 
which  keep  waving  and  nodding  like  the  plumes 
of  a hearse — all  of  them  laboring  hard,  as  the 
idea  is  that  the  louder  the  noise,  the  more  dis- 
cordant the  notes,  the  better  and  more  charm- 
ing the  music.  On  looking  behind,  one  group 
wms  seen  following  another  as  far  as  the  eye 
could  reach ; on  looking  before,  one  group  was 
seen  preceding  another  as  far  as  the  eye  could 
reach,  like  wave  after  wave  in  interminable 
succession. 

Besides  these  groups  of  worshippers,  who 
are  reckoned  pre-eminent  in  holiness  and  merit, 
there  are  others  that  advance  in  processions, 
bearing  various  pageants,  flags,  banners,  models 
of  temples,  images  of  gods  and  other  myth- 
ological figures.  Hundreds  of  these  processions 
spread  over  the  plain. 

At  the  extremity  of  Chowinghee,  the  road 
towards  the  temple  narrows  considerably.  The 
throng  is  now'  so  dense  that  one  is  literally  car- 
ried along.  On  approaching  the  precincts  of  the 
sacred  shrine,  it  is  found  surrounded  by  a court 
and  a high  wall.  After  entering  the  principal 


no  OKS  WINGING. 


143 


gate,  which  is  on  the  western  side,  the  temple 
is  in  full  view.  To  the  south  of  it  is  a spacious 
open  hall  or  portico,  deviated  several  steps  above 
the  ground  and  surrounded  by  a flight  of  steps, 
above  which  rise  a range  of  pillars  that  support 
the  roof.  Between  the  portico  and  the  temple 
is  a narrow  pathway,  along  which  the  stream 
of  spectators  was  flowing ; while  the  groups  of 
devotees  marched  round  the  side  farthest  from 
the  temple.  Being  of  the  number  of  the  spec- 
•tators,  we  mingled  with  the  teeming  throng 
that  pressed  on,  with  maddening  frenzy,  to  get 
a glimpse  of  the  idol.  Here  one  or  another 
would  start  aside,  and  knock  their  heads  against 
the  temple  wall  or  brick  pavement,  muttering 
incantations,  to  command  the  attention  and  at- 
tract the  favor  of  the  goddess.  . It  may  here  be 
noticed  that  a temple  in  India  is  not  like  a 
Chiistian  church,  a place  for  the  disciples  to  as- 
semble in  and  engage  in  reason.able  worship ; 
but  it  is  designed  merely  as  a receptacle  for  the 
senseless  block  of  the  idol,  aiid  a company  of 
Brahmins  as  its  guardian  attendants.  Hence, 
as  there  is  not  much  occasion  for  light,  there 
are  few  or  no  windows.  The  light  of  day  is 


144 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


admitted  only  by  the  front  door  when  thrown 
open.  Darkness  is  thus  commingled  with  light 
in  the  idol  cell,  and  tends  to  add  to  the  mys- 
teriousness of  the  scene.  The  multitudes  all 
congregate  without ; but  there  is  no  preaching 
— no  devotional  exercises  to  raise  the  soul  on 
the  wings  of  heavenly  contemplation ; no  in- 
struction in  the  knowledge  of  the  true  God 
and  the  plan  of  salvation ; no  exhortations 
to  the  cultivation  of  virtue  and  piety ; all 
is  one  unchanging  round  of  sacrifice  and 
ceremony,  of  cruelty  and  sport  and  lifeless 
form. 

Standing  immediately  opposite  the  temple 
gate,  we  saw  on  either  side-station,  as  usual,  a 
party  of  Brahmins  to  receive  the  proffered  gifts. 
On  one  side  lay  a heap  of  flowers  that  had  been 
consecrated  by  being  carried  within  and  pre- 
sented to  the  goddess ; on  the  other  side,  a 
large  heap  of  money — copper  and  silver  and 
gold — that  had  been  contributed  as  free-will 
offerings.  To  the  spectators,  as  they  passed 
along,  the  Brahmins  were  presenting  conse- 
scrated  flowers,  which  Avere  eagerly  carried  off 
as  precious  relics,  and  in  exchange  for  them 


SELF  TORTURE. 


145 


the  joyous  votaries  threw  down  what  money 
they  possessed. 

“ Passing  now  to  the  eastern  side  of  the 
court,  we  soon  saw  Avhat  the  groups  of  devo- 
tees Avere  to  be  engaged  in.  ToAvards  the  Avail 
there  Avere  stationed  several  blacksmiths  Avith 
sharp  instruments  in  their  hands.  Those  of  a 
particular  group,  that  carried  the  rods,  canes, 
and  other  implements,  noAV  came  fonvard.  One 
Avould  stretch  out  his  side,  and  getting  it  in- 
stantly pierced  through,  in  Avould  pass  one  of 
his  rods  or  canes.  Another  Avould  hold  out 
his  arm,  and  getting  it  perforated,  in  Avould 
pass  one  of  his  iron  rods.  A third  Avould  pro- 
trude his  tongue,  and  getting  it  bored  through, 
in  Avould  pass  one  of  his  cords  or  serpents. 
And  thus  all  of  a certain  group  Avould  have 
themselves  variously  transpierced  and  perfo- 
rated. When  these  had  finished,  another  group 
Avas  wmiting  in  readiness  to  undergo  the  cruel 
operation ; and  then  another  and  another,  ap- 
parently Avithout  end. 

‘‘  Several  groups  then,  returning,  mounted 
the  steps  of  the  portico  in  front  of  the  temple, 
to  prepare  for  their  most  solemn  act  of  Avor- 


146 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


ship ; but  how  impotent  is  human  language  to 
attempt  to  convey  an  impression  of  the  scene 
that  followed  ! Those  of  the  different  groups 
that  carried  in  front  the  shovel-shaped  vessels 
already  referred  to  now  ranged  themselves 
around  the  interior  of  the  colonnade.  All  the 
rest  assembled  themselves  within  this  living 
circle  (of  course,  only  a few  groups  could  do 
this  at  one  time).  On  a sudden,  at  a given 
signal,  commenced  the  bleating  and  the  lowing 
and  the  struggling  of  animals  slaughtered  in 
sacrifice  at  the  farthest  end  of  the  portico, 
and  speedily  the  ground  was  made  to  swim 
with  sacrificial  blood.  At  the  same  moment 
the  vessel-carriers,  having  placed  burning  coals 
in  their  vessels,  threw  now  upon  those  burning 
coals  in  the  vessels  handfuls  of  Indian  pitch, 
which  ascended  in  columns  of  smoke  and  flame, 
the  iron  rods  which  held  the  vessels  and  were 
passed  through  the  sides  becoming  almost  red 
hot.  The  musical  instruments  sent  forth  their 
loud,  jarring,  and  discordant  sounds,  and  those 
who  were  transpierced  began  dancing  in  the 
most  frantic  manner,  pulling  backwards  and 
forwards,  through  their  wounded  members,  the 


no  OKS  WINGING. 


147 


rods,  the  canes,  the  tubes,  the  cords,  and  the 
writhing  serpents.  All  this  was  carried  on 
simultaneously ; and  that,  too,  within  a briefer 
period  of  time  than  has  now  been  occupied  in  the 
feeble  and  inadequate  attempt  to  describe  it. 
Again  and  again  would  ascend  from  the  thou- 
sands of  applauding  spectators  loud  shouts  of 
‘ Victory  to  Kali ! Victory  to  the  Great  Kali!’” 
I have  given  this  in  full,  that  the  reader  may 
have  an  idea  of  what  Hindoo  worship  really  is. 
And  yet  these  are  the  intellectual  people  to 
whom  some  Christians  even  say  that  there  is 
no  need  to  send  the  religion  of  Jesus  ! These 
millions  are  worshippers  of  Satan,  and  fast 
bound  in  his  chains.  And  these  things  are 
not  of  the  past.  It  is  not  permitted  to  make 
these  public  exhibitions  of  cruelty  now  in  the 
city  of  Calcutta,  as  it  might  shock  the  sensi- 
tive feelings  of  thousands  of  professing  Chris- 
tians there ; but  it  is  still  done  in  the  towns 
and  villages  where  English  people  do  not  live. 
Is  it  of  no  conse(|uence  that  others  suffer,  if 
we  do  not  witness  the  suffering  ? Oh,  when 
will  Christians  see  that  it  is  their  duty  to  con- 
quer the  world  for  Jesus  ? 


CHAPTER  NINTH. 


IIELIGION,  HOLY  MAN,  AND  FESTIVALS. 

ENRY  MARTIN’S  CHURCH.— The  first 


Sunday  I was  in  Calcutta,  I attended 
service  at  the  Old  Church,  as  it  is  called.  It 
is  very  singular  in  form,  having  been  formerly 
a house,  to  which  additions  have  been  made  as 
occasion  required.  It  was,  I believe,  the  first 
place  in  which  divine  worship  to  the  only  true 
God  was  publicly  offered  in  Calcutta ; and  also 
where  Henry  Martin  first  preached.  The 
building  has  never  been  consecrated,  as  it  had 
been  used  many  years  before  there  was  any 
bishop  in  India.  When  Bishop  Heber  was  ap- 
plied to  to  perform  the  ceremony,  with  a 
beautiful  humility,  becoming  the  follower  of  the 
meek  and  lowly  Jesus,  he  said:  ‘‘No;  it  has 
been  fully  consecrated  by  Martin  and  the  other 
devoted  men  who  have  followed  him.  Any- 
thing /can  do  after  them  cannot  make  it  any 
more  sacred.” 


MISSION  WORK. 


149 


It  is  a very  sad  sight  to  see  here  the  drunken 
European  sailors  on  Sundays,  strolling  about 
the  bazaars,  drinking,  swearing,  and  fighting. 
These  are  far  the  most  numerous  specimens  of 
“ Christians”  that  the  poor  natives  see.  If  we  are 
to  judge  of  a tree  by  its  fruits,  what  must  they 
think  of  Christianity  ? For  these  poor  drunken 
fellows  would  be  ready  to  knock  any  one  down 
who  should  say  they  were  not  Christians. 

Rev.  Mu.  Weitureck. — I find  that  I am  oc- 
cupying the  room  in  which  the  sainted  Weitbreck 
breathed  his  last.  He  was  a missionary  of  the 
Church  Mission  Society.  This  was  not  his 
station ; he  was  only  here  on  a visit  at  the  time 
of  his  death.  It  was  reading  his  life,  and  his 
earnest  call  for  more  laborers  among  the  heathen, 
that  made  my  dear  mother  at  length  yield  a re- 
luctant consent  to  my  giving  myself  to  that 
work.  But  little  did  I then  think  that  my  feet 
would  ever  tread  where  his  had  been ; or  that 
I should  live  in  that  house  from  vvhich  his 
sanctified  spirit  took  its  departure  to  the 
realms  of  light.”  Conversing  about  him  to- 
day, I was  told,  by  one  who  was  present,  that 
his  last  sermon,  on  Sunday  evening,  was,  for 


150 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


the  most  part,  on  the  joys  of  heaven ; and  as 
he  spoke,  those  who  heard  him  fancied  that  his 
countenance,  always  lovely,  assumed  an  almost 
angelic  appearance,  as  he  descanted  rapturously 
on  the  bliss  prepared  by  the  love  of  God  for 
his  people.  His  appearance  and  sermon  were 
long  remembered.  He  was  apparently  quite 
well  while  preaching ; about  an  hour  after  he 
Avas  seized  with  painless  cholera,  and  morning 
daAvned  on  him  in  heaven.  “Let  me  die  the 
death  of  the  righteous,  and  let  my  last  end  be 
like  his.” 

“ He  set  as  sets  the  morning  star, 

AVhich  sinks  not  down  behind  the  darkened  west, 

Xor  hides  obscurely  ’midst  the  tempests  of  the  sky, 
But  melts  away  into  the  light  of  heaven.” 

Pollok,  Course  of  Time. 

Coolies  in  B.a.za.ar.  — I saw  another  Bible 
illustration  to-day.  If  you  go  into  the  bazaars 
or  market  places,  no  matter  at  what  hour  of 
the  day,  you  will  see  a number  of  coolies  (day 
laborers)  sitting  or  standing  about,  waiting  to 
be  hired.  They  are  ready  to  carry  burdens, 
run  errands,  in  fact,  do  any  kind  of  Avork  that 
may  be  required  of  them ; and  their  usual  pay 


MOHAMMEDAN  TRADITION. 


151 


is  about  four  annas  (equal  to  eleven  cents)  a clay. 
Asking  one  of  the  men  if  he  had  had  no  work 
all  day,  he  replied,  in  Scripture  words:  “No; 
for  no  man  hath  hired  mo.” 

Mohammedan  Idea  of  Satan’s  Fall. — I 
have  been  teaching  one  of  the  servants  for 
some  time.  He  could  speak  a good  deal  of 
English,  and  seemed  to  comprehend  more  than 
he  could  speak,  and  was  very  anxious  to  learn 
to  read  English ; so  I have  been  teaching  him, 
and  he  has  progressed  very  nicely.  To-day  he 
was  reading  in  Peep  of  Day.  He  always  asks 
a great  many  questions,  and  I encourage  him  to 
do  so,  as  I want  him  to  understand  thoroughly 
all  he  learns.  We  were  reading  about  Adam 
and  Eve,  and  Satan’s  desire  to  possess  their 
souls.  So  he  began  to  question  me  about 
Satan,  and  when  I made  him  understand  who 
that  evil  spirit  is,  he  said,  “ Oh,  yes.  Ma’am 
Sahib,  I know,  I know  Satan  (I  expect  all  in 
this  country  know  him  too  intimately).  Mus- 
sulman he  tell  me.  May  I tell  you.  Ma’am 
Sahib,  what  Mussulman  say  ?”  “ Oh,  yes  ; go 

on,”  I replied.  “ Well,  Mussulman  he  say  Satan 
one  time  helive  in  heaven,  then  he  be  best  {first) 


152 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


man  there,  be  very  happy  there.  Then  one 
time  God  say  Mohammed  he  shall  be  best  man. 
Then  Satan  say,  I won’t  serve  you  any  more ; 
if  I can’t  be  best  (first  or  greatest)  man  I won’t 
serve  you.  But  God  say  to  Satan,  You  must 
make  salaam  to  Mohammed.”  This  salaam  is 
made  from  an  inferior  to  a superior.  “ But 
Satan  say.  No,  I will  not  make  salaam  to  Mo- 
hammed. So,  Ma’am  Sahib,  God  he  not  want 
to  make  a fuss,  but  he  think  to  himself,  I make 
him  do  it.  So  God  build  a splendid  house  for 
Mohammed  in  heaven — it  very  grand  big  house 
— and  then  God  say.  All  angels  come  see  Mo- 
hammed. On  one  day  he  have  big  reception 
day.  Now  God  make  the  door  of  the  house 
very  big,  but  the  door  that  go  into  the  room 
where  Mohammed  sit  that  quite  small.  God 
think  Satan  very  big  man,  and  when  he  come 
to  this  door  he  have  to  bow  his  head  to  go  in.” 
In  making  a salaam  the  inferior  always  bows  his 
head.  “But  when  Satan  come  to  that  door  he 
see  he  have  to  bow  his  head  to  go  in,  and  he  say. 
No,  I not  do  that.  So  what  yon  think  he  do. 
Ma’am  Sahib  ? He  sit  down  on  the  ground  and 
wriggle  himself  in.  Then  God  very  angry,  so 


MOHAMMEDAN  TRADITIONS. 


153 


he  sent  him  out  of  heaven.”  Such,  you  see, 
are  some  of  the  absurd  notions  of  the  Moham- 
medans. How  little  they  think  of  God  as  the 
High  and  Holy  One  that  inhabiteth  eternity ! 
I told  him  that  Satan  had  lived  in  heaven  and 
been  cast  out  from  thence  before  the  creation 
of  the  world,  and  that  Mohammed  had  lived 
more  than  four  thousand  years  after.  But  I 
passed  quickly  from  that  to  tell  him  of  the 
Saviour  who  came  to  save  Adam  and  Eve,  and 
all  who  want  to  believe  in  him  of  every  nation, 
kindred,  and  clime.  What  my  servant  said  to 
me  of  the  Mussulman’s  ideas  of  Satan’s  rebel- 
lion struck  me  very  forcibly.  My  own  suppo- 
sitions (I  do  not  know  whether  any  one  else 
has  the  same  or  not)  of  the  origin  of  Satan’s 
rebellion  are  these  : That  at  or  previous  to  the 
creation  of  the  world,  the  second  person  of  the 
Trinity,  Jesus,  took  upon  him  the  form  of  a 
man,  and  that  it  was  after  that  image,  or  like- 
ness, that  man  was  created ; that  then  the 
Father  presented  him  to  the  hosts  of  heaven, 
and  said,  “ Let  all  the  angels  of  God  worship 
him and  that  then  Satan,  seeing  one  whom 
he  thought,  in  appearance  at  least,  inferior  to 

11 


154 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


himself — for  we  must  remember  he  was  a great 
archangel — refused  his  homage  to  the  Son  of 
Man.  His  pride  cast  him  out  of  heaven.  Such 
is  my  thought. 

Works,  not  Faith. — I was  talking  to  one  of 
my  zenana  ladies  one  day,  and  she  told  me  that 
she  did  not  worship  idols  any  longer,  hut  that 
she  only  believed  in  and  prayed  to  the  one  true 
God.  I told  her  that  to  please  God  she  must 
love  him  and  obey  him,  and  believe  on  his  Son 
Jesus  Christ,  so  that  she  might  be  received  into 
heaven  at  last.  “Yes,”  she  said,  “yes,  it  is 
weU  for  you,  you  can  go  about  teaching  poor 
people  about  God,  and  doing  much  good  so  you 
can  gain  heaven,  but  how  can  I ?”  There  you 
see  it  is  as  ever  with  our  poor  human  nature — 
works ! works ! — simple  faith  in  Christ  is  too 
easy  a doctrine ; we  must  do  something  our- 
selves to  merit  heaven.  I tried  to  explain  to 
her  that  she  could  serve  God  just  as  acceptably 
where  she  was  placed,  if  her  heart  was  only 
right ; it  is  not  the  kind  of  work  that  we  do, 
but  the  wdlling  obedience;  that  our  works  did 
not  gain  us  heaven,  but  that  Jesus  had  pur- 
chased heaven  for  us,  and  all  we  had  to  do  was 


MISSION  WORK. 


155 


to  accept  it  as  a free  gift  5 then  we  should  try 
to  do  all  he  wished  us  to  do,  not  to  gain  heaven, 
hut  to  show  our  love  to  him  who  had  done  so 
much  for  us.  I do  not  think  she  quite  under- 
stood it — it  is  hard  for  us  to  believe  that  all 
we  have  to  do  is  Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  and  thou  shalt  be  saved.” 

Good  Sermon. — We  had  a good  sermon  to- 
day. The  missionaries  of  the  Church  Mission 
Society  are  true  evangelical  preachers ; they 
are  generally  very  sound  in  the  faith.  They 
really  seem  as  if  they  had  come  out  here  among 
the  heathen  with  the  fixed  resolution  of  St. 
Paul  Avhen  he  said,  ‘‘  I determined  not  to  know 
anything  among  you  save  Jesus  Christ,  and 
him  crucified.”  In  this  heathen  land  we  have 
so  many  trials  and  temptations  which  you  little 
know  or  think  of  at  home,  that  we  are  con- 
stantly made  to  feel  our  own  weakness  and  in- 
efficiency, and  that  we  do  need  to  be  fed  with 
the  “pure  milk  of  the  word.”  Our  pastor  to- 
day showed  us  our  own  nothingness,  and  yet 
our  perfect  completeness  in  Christ  and  his  per- 
fect love  to  us.  I am  completely  discouraged 
when  I hear  a minister  (as  some  do)  striving 


156 


TALES  ABOUT  INDIA. 


to  show  US  what  man  ousht  to  be,  and  Avhat  he 
should  endeavor  to  make  himself,  and  praising  up 
the  dignity  of  human  nature.  Such  preaching 
may  do  very  well  for  those  who  do  not  feel  them- 
selves to  he  great  sinners,  or  who  feel  strong 
in  themselves  to  do  that  which  is  right  and  to 
resist  temptation ; but  for  those  who  need  to 
pray  every  day  for  forgiveness  for  doing  that 
which  they  ought  not  to  have  done,  and  for 
leaA'ing  undone  many  things  Avhich  they  ought 
to  have  done — who  feel  that  they  are  so  prone 
to  evil  and  so  utterly  devoid  of  strength  to 
resist  temptation,  or  to  do  one  single  thing  that 
is  right — such  preaching  does  not  suit;  it 
makes  you  hopeless.  I cannot  belieA’e  in  this 
doctrine  of  sinless  perfection.  I have  seen 
many  people  who  thought  they  had  attained  to 
it,  hut  certainly  as  I understood  the  word  of 
God,  as  to  the  real  nature  of  sin  in  his  sight, 
they  were  far,  veiy  far,  from  having  attained 
to  it.  The  Pharisees  kept  the  outward  letter 
of  the  law,  hut  our  Saviour  said,  except  your 
righteousness  shall  exceed  these,  you  will  have 
no  part  in  the  kingdom  of  heaAmn.  Now  our 
Saviour  says  he  came  to  save  sinners,  and 


MISSION  WORK. 


157 


therefore  I want  to  consider  myself  as  one  of 
those  whom  he  came  to  save,  and  that  I need 
that  salvation  just  as  much  to-day  as  I did 
yesterday.  To  one  who  feels  how  constantly 
her  footsteijs  slide,  it  is  a comfort  to  be  re- 
minded of  one  who  is  able  to  keep  you  from 
falling  utterly.  When  jmu  feel  like  the  sainted 
Apostle,  that  when  you  would  do  good  evil  is 
present  with  you,  oh ! then  it  is  refreshing  to 
know  that  you  have  trusted  your  all  to  him, 
and  that  he  will  be  made  unto  you  not  only 
Avisdom,  and  righteousness,  and  redemption,  but 
sanctification  also.  It  is  his  holiness  I must 
be  clothed  Avith,  not  my  OAvn,  if  I ever  enter 
heaven. 

“Just  as  I am,  poor,  wretched,  blind  ; 

Sight,  riches,  healing  of  the  mind, 

Yea,  all  I need  in  thee  to  find. 

Oh  ! Lamb  of  God,  I come.” 

This  is  the  kind  of  preaching  I like.  If  Christ 
came  to  save  the  righteous,  then  I should  be 
in  despair ; but  as  the  “ Saviour  of  sinners,”  I 
can  claim  him  as  mine.  It  is  Avhen  Ave  look 
round  at  these  poor  heathen,  and  call  to  mind 
that  such  were  our  ancestors — such  Avere  all 


158 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


the  nations  upon  earth — that  we  realize  the 
greatness  of  the  Saviour’s  condescension  and 
love,  in  leaving  his  throne  of  glory  to  die  for 
such  as  we. 

Hindoo  Festivals.  — In  passing  along  the 
streets  one  day,  we  found  ourselves  in  a great 
crowd  of  people,  and  as  we  approached  the 
river  the  crowd  seemed  to  increase.  We  found 
it  Avas  the  celebration  of  a great  Hindoo  fes- 
tival, Avhich  only  occurs  -once  in  thirty-five 
years.  The  poor  people  believe  that  Avhoever 
bathes  himself  that  day  in  a certain  spot  in 
the  Ganges  directly  opposite  Calcutta  will  he 
immediately  cleansed  from  all  his  former  sins. 
When  he  dies  he  Avill  only  have  to  account  for 
sins  committed  after  that  bath.  We  were  told 
that  over  380,000  people  had  come  from  all 
the  surrounding  country  for  that  ceremony. 
As  Ave  passed  along  to  church  (for  it  was  Sun- 
day), the  streets  were  crowded  Avith  people 
going  and  returning  from  the  river,  some  car- 
rying children,  others  helping  to  bear  or  lead 
the  aged,  infirm,  or  blind.  Those  coming  from 
the  river  Avere  decorated  Avith  garlands,  and 
their  faces  covered  with  Avhite  clay  in  honor  of 


HINDOO  FESTIVAL. 


159 


their  god.  I could  but  think,  as  I watched 
these  poor  deluded  ones  hurrying  to  the  stream 
for  purification,  of  our  own  more  favored  land, 
and  of  that  great  feast  which  God  has  prepared 
for  those  that  love  him,  in  commemoration  of 
the  fountain  opened  for  sin  and  uncleanness. 
But,  oh,  how  different  it  is,  often,  where  that 
feast  is  being  celebrated ! Do  we  see  old  and 
young,  rich  and  poor,  by  their  eagerness  to 
partake,  proclaiming  to  others  their  knowledge 
of  their  infirmities,  and  their  need  of  being 
cleansed  in  that  sacred  stream  ? Do  we  not 
rather  see  multitudes  of  those  who  frequent 
the  house  of  God  turn  away  from  that  feast, 
thus  proclaiming  that  they  are  good  enough 
and  need  no  atonement  ? Not  that  that  feast 
itself  will  cleanse  them,  but  that  thei‘e  they 
proclaim  their  own  needs,  and  their  belief  in 
the  efficacy  of  the  cleansing  stream.  And 
even  with  those  who  profess  themselves  to 
feel  their  need,  do  we  see  that  diligent,  earnest 
effort  to  bring  beloved  ones  to  its  purifying 
influence  ? We  may  learn  many  lessons  of  the 
heathen. 

Pollution. — My  zenana  ladies  brought  me 


160 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


to-day  some  sweetmeats  of  their  own  make — 
the  only  kind  I like — a preparation  of  cocoa- 
nut  and  curds,  which  is  very  good.  While  I 
was  eating — my  lessons  were  all  over — one  of 
the  Avomen,  avIio  I think  is  very  fond  of  me, 
was  sitting  Avith  her  arms  around  me,  and  her 
little  boy,  about  five  years  old,  Avas  standing 
beside  her  leaning  upon  her  lap,  but  looking 
very  Avistfully  at  Avhat  I Avas  eating.  Without 
thought  I broke  off  a piece,  and  Avas  about  to 
put  it  in  the  child’s  mouth  ; the  mother  quickly 
drcAV  him  aAvay  Avith  an  expression  of  intense 
horror.  It  Avould  be  a most  fearful  pollution 
for  one  of  them  to  eat  anything  I had  once 
touched.  A groAvn  up  person  Avho  did  so  Avould 
lose  caste  immediately ; but  a little  child 
Avould  become  unclean,  and  Avould  have  to  go 
through  a ceremonial  purification,  Avhich  Avould 
cause  a great  deal  of  trouble.  I find  that  if  a 
person  loses  caste  here,  they  can  buy  it  back 
again  of  the  Brahmin  priest,  by  going  through 
a number  of  observances,  and  by  paying  a cer- 
tain sum  to  the  priest.  This  can  be  done  in 
every  case  except  Avhere  a person  has  been 
baptized;  nothing  can  then  repurchase  his  caste. 


HOLY  MAN. 


161 


Fakir,  or  Holy  Man. — The  other  day  I 
saw  a very  holy  man,  as  the  people  think  him, 
a fakir  or  Jugee.  He  has  made  a vow  that 
he  will  never  take  his  arm  down  from  one 
position  over  his  head.  Other  people  feed  him 
and  give  him  all  he  wants,  because  they  think 
he  is  holy.  He  was  a most  disgusting  looking 
object,  for  his  arm  was  all  withered  and  looked 
just  like  a thin  piece  of  stick,  as  if  the  skin 
was  just  stretched  over  the  bones.  His  nails 
are  more  than  an  inch  long,  just  like  great 
bird’s  claws,  while  his  hair  and  beard  have 
grown  very  long,  and  are  matted  together  with 
filth.  I don’t  su})})Ose,  now,  it  would  be  possi- 
ble for  him  to  move  his  arm  without  breaking 
it;  he  has  held  it  so  long  in  that  position.  He 
sat  by  the  roadside  begging,  and  many  as  they 
passed  would  throw  him  a small  coin,  since  it  is 
considered  a very  meritorious  deed  to  give  to 
these  holy  beggars.  They  are  not  nearly  as 
numerous  in  the  large  cities  as  they  formerly 
were,  for  the  natives  are  becoming  educated, 
and  do  not  believe  in  the  holiness  of  these 
religious  mendicants,  therefore  do  not  gi\e 
to  them  as  they  formerly  did. 


1G2 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


Mohammedan  Festival. — To-day  commences 
the  great  feast  of  the  Mohurrum ; it  is  the 
greatest  of  all  the  Mohammedan  festivals,  and 
lasts  about  ten  days.  The  last  three  days, 
however,  are  considered  the  most  important. 
During  the  whole  of  this  time,  any  one  who  has 
the  misfortune  to  live  near  one  of  the  Moham- 
medan villages  cannot  expect  to  get  an  hour’s 
sleep  or  quiet.  They  keep  up  a continual  din, 
night  and  day,  but  more  especially  those  last 
three  days,  with  drums,  trumpets,  tin  kettles, 
bells,  fifes,  bugles,  whistles — anything  that  will 
make  a noise.  This  feast  is  in  honor  of  the 
two  brothers,  Houssein  and  Hossien,  the  grand- 
sons of  Mohammed.  On  the  first  day  the  mou- 
lahs,  or  priests,  go  about  among  their  people, 
reading  or  reciting  an  account  of  the  exploits 
and  sufferings  of  these  two  brothers.  This  is 
a brief  account  of  them : They  were  the  sons 
of  a favorite  daughter  of  Mohammed.  Their 
father.  Caliph  Ali,  was  assassinated,  and  the 
assassin  then  took  possession  of  the  throne  of 
iSIohammed,  after  searching  in  vain  for  those  two 
sons  to  kill  them.  At  length  the  usurper  died, 
and  his  son,  whose  name  was  Yezzed,  succeeded 


MOHAMMEDAN  FESTIVAL. 


163 


to  the  throne.  Then  some  of  the  friends  of  the 
late  Caliph  Ali  sent  to  ITonssein,  who  was  at 
that  time  at  Medina,  and  told  him  that  if  he 
would  now  attempt  to  regain  the  throne  of  his 
father  they  would  do  all  that  they  could  to 
help  him.  Some  few  at  once  rallied  round 
him  ; his  brother  Hossien  and  some  other  mem- 
bers of  his  hmiily  accompanied  him.  As  soon 
as  the  usurper  Yezzed  heard  of  his  departure 
from  Medina,  he  sent  an  army  of  ten  thousand 
men,  who  encamped  between  Iloussein  and  the 
river  Euphrates,  and  thus  all  supply  of  water 
was  cut  off  from  his  devoted  band  of  followers. 
Though  small,  his  little  l)and  were  most  brave, 
and  performed  some  most  marvellous  deeds. 
But  at  length,  on  the  tenth  day,  they  were  en- 
tirely surrounded  and  every  one  of  them  slain. 
They  cut  off  Houssein’s  head  and  carried  it  to 
Yezzed,  who  ^ was  at  that  time  in  Damascus. 
It  is  these  ten  days  of  sufCering  of  this  little 
band  that  is  commemorated  at  the  feast  of  the 
Mohurrum.  There  are  processions  each  day, 
with  mock  fights,  and  on  the  last  day  they 
carry  about  representations  of  tombs  and  towers. 
In  some  of  these  processions  they  have  the 


164 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


finest  Arabian  horses  that  can  be  found,  most 
gorgeously  caparisoned,  and  adorned  with  gold 
and  gems.  These  are  to  represent  the  horses 
of  Houssein  and  Ilossien.  On  parts  of  the  trap- 
pings, and  stuck  on  the  faces,  are  round  glass 
beads  to  represent  the  tears  of  the  horses  mourn- 
ing for  their  masters,  and  a number  of  the  men 
and  boys  in  the  crowd  are  beating  their  breasts 
and,  apparently  in  the  bitterest  grief,  shouting 
out  the  names  of  Houssein  and  Hossien.  A stran- 
ger at  first  could  hardly  be  persuaded  that  it 
was  not  real  grief.  The  last  night  they  are 
going  about  the  streets  almost  the  whole  night 
long,  carrying  these  tombs — some  of  them 
really  very  beautiful,  but  all  made  of  bamboo 
and  tinsel  paper.  They  then  have  images  of 
horses,  covered  with  gashes  and  stuck  all  over 
with  arrows ; and  they  will  also  carry  a lot  of 
turbans,  dresses  and  swords  covered  with  blood. 
The  things  are  all  thrown  into  some  water  the 
next  day.  But  during  the  procession  the  men 
become  so  excited  and  even  frantic  in  their  sham 
fights  that  they  often  wound  themselves  very 
severely,  and  the  sham  fight  ends  in  a real 
one,  in  which  many  are  very  severely  injured, 


JUGGERNA  UT. 


1G5 


and  often  slain.  In  the  larger  cities,  at  the 
time  of  these  processions,  the  English  have  a 
large  police  force  appointed  to  attend  them  to 
prevent  any  such  outbreak. 

Juggernaut. — Yesterday  was  the  great  feast 
of  Juggernaut.  The  root  of  this  word  means 
king  of  the  world.”  This  idol  at  Puri  is  a 
wooden  block  in  the  shape  of  a cucumber,  the 
upper  portion  representing  a hideous  human 
face.  The  streets  were  crowded  with  all 
sorts  of  people  in  holiday  garb,  and  every- 
where images  of  the  god  Avere  for  sale.  In 
many  streets,  as  you  passed  along,  you  saAV 
small  imitations  of  the  great  car  of  Juggernaut 
being  drawn  along  by  a crowd  of  men  and  boys. 
It  did  seem  simple  baby  play,  as  the  cars  were 
none  of  them  more  than  ten  feet  high,  many  of 
them  not  more  than  tAvo  feet.  They  are  all 
made  in  the  same  form.  Those  that  are  about 
ten  feet  high  Avill  have  a platform  nearly  ten 
feet  square,  from  Avhich  rises  a smaller  one 
surmounted  by  a dome.  The  back  and  sides 
are  covered  Avith  some  kind  of  red  cloth,  deco- 
rated Avith  tinsel  and  numerous  small  flags. 
Inside  this  upper  story  the  idol  is  placed, 


166 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


varying  in  height  from  two  feet  to  four  inches. 
He  has  an  immense  head  and  body,  but  no 
arms  or  legs.  He  is  dressed  in  crimson  silk, 
and  glittering  in  mock  gold  and  jewels.  Just 
in  front  of  him  piles  of  flowers,  arranged  in 
Avreaths,  are  laid.  These  the  priests  bless 
and  sell  to  the  natives.  Where  it  is  large 
enough  six  or  eight  priests  stand  on  the  lower 
platform,  or,  Avhere  the  car  is  not  large  enough, 
walk  beside  it,  distributing  the  flowers  to  the 
crowd.  Just  in  front  of  the  car,  but  placed  so 
as  not  to  touch  the  ground,  are  the  figures  of 
two  horses  and  their  drivers  made  of  clay.  A 
motley  croAvd  of  so-called  musicians  attend 
each  car,  making  a hideous  din  as  it  passes 
through  the  street.  And  this  is  supposed  to 
be  worship  acceptable  to  God.  How  different 
the  way  our  Saviour  tells  us  to  Avorship  ! ‘‘God 
is  a Spirit : and  they  that  worship  him  must 
worship  him  in  spirit  and  in  truth.” 

Decrease  of  Idolatry.  — Two  gentlemen 
called  on  me  to-day.  They  have  been  travel- 
ling for  the  last  fifteen  months  over  India  and 
Burmah  for  the  express  purpose  of  finding  out 
the  true  state  of  religious  and  educational 


FEASTS. 


167 


affairs.  They  are  Englishmen,  belonging  to 
the  Society  of  Friends.  They  expressed  them- 
selves as  well  pleased  with  the  progress  made, 
the  decrease  of  idolatry,  and  the  rooting  out  of 
old  prejudices.  In  one  place  an  old  Brahmin 
told  him  that  the  people  were  ceasing  so  widely 
the  worship  of  their  idols  that  they  (the  priests) 
hardly  knew  what  to  do  for  a livelihood. 

The  Feast  of  Lanterns. — As  we  came  home 
from  church  last  night  we  saw  all  the  streets 
very  prettily  illuminated,  that  is,  in  the  native 
part  of  the  city,  and  everywhere  we  found 
numbers  of  sweetmeat  venders  with  their  tem- 
porary stalls.  They  set  their  lamps  in  long 
rows ; they  are  very  small,  but  they  have  a 
very  pretty  effect.  These  little  lamps  appear 
as  if  they  might  he  the  same  that  were  in  use 
thousands  of  years  ago.  The  lamp  is  a little 
brass  saucer  with  a lip  to  it,  the  wick  being- 
only  a strip  of  rag,  and  when  the  saucer  is  filled 
with  oil  this  wick  just  hangs  out  at  the  edge 
of  the  lip.  This  feast  is  held  in  honor  of  Agni, 
the  god  of  fire.  The  worship  of  any  of  these 
gods  scarcely  ever  consists  in  prayers  or  invo- 
cations, but  simply  in  offering  to  them  what 


168 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


they  think  the  gods  will  be  pleased  with. 
Xow,  as  Agui  is  the  god  of  fire,  it  is  thought 
that  he  will  be  pleased  with  all  these  lights, 
and  then  all  the  gods  are  supposed  to  be  de- 
lighted with  the  dancing  of  the  Mautcli  (dance) 
girls,  so  that  dancing,  and  their  barbarous 
music,  all  night  long  accompanies  all  these 
festivals.  All  the  baboos  of  anv  wealth  or  re- 
spectability  keep  up  as  many  of  these  feasts  as 
they  can,  as  it  is  meritorious  at  these  times  to 
invite  and  feast  as  many  Brahmins  as  they 
possibly  can,  and  give  them  the  pleasure  of 
witnessing  the  Mautcli.  Then,  too,  all  the 
poor  people  that  can  crowd  in  may  see  it,  and 
may  sometimes  come  in  for  a share  of  the  feast 
that  the  Brahmins  cannot  possibly  eat.  It  is 
in  this  way  that  the  people  here  spend  their 
money. 

Thinking  Men. — I had  a conversation,  a day 
or  two  ago,  with  a pundit  (literally,  “learned 
man;”  generally  applied  to  a teacher  of  the 
Bengali  language).  lie  is  a deist,  but  longs 
for  the  old  customs  of  Hindooism  to  be  done 
away.  Especially  does  he  bewail  the  lack  of 
female  education.  He  said ; “ You  wiU  find. 


THINKING  MEN. 


169 


madfim,  that  thousands  of  the  young  men  of 
India  are  Christians;  that  is,  in  head  belief; 
for  the  beauty,  the  truthfulness,  and  the  purity 
of  the  Christian  religion  must  commend  itself 
to  every  educated  mind.  It  is  not  our  heads, 
but  the  affections  of  our  hearts,  that  keep  us 
from  an  open  profession  of  Christianity.  Were 
we  to  do  this,  we  should  become  outcasts  from 
our  father’s  house ; we  should  be  cursed  by  our 
mothers  ; forsaken  by  our  wives  and  little  ones 
(for  they  are  considered  to  belong  to  the  family 
more  than  to  ourselves,  and  they  would  be  re- 
tained and  taken  care  of  by  the  family),  and 
these  little  ones  whom  we  love  would  be  taught 
to  hate  us.  Though  we  believe  with  our  intel- 
lects, few  of  us  have  the  courage  thus  to  leave 
all  for  Christ’s  sake.  It  is  our  women  that  keep 
up  Hindooism.  When  they  become  educated, 
as  we  men  are,  then  you  will  see  a mighty 
change.  But  should  we  become  Christians, 
we  not  only  have  to  give  up  all  family  ties — 
all  that  are  near  and  dear  to  us — but  we  have 
to  give  up  all  share  in  property  also,  and  we 
have  to  descend  to  be  beggars  and  outcasts.” 
I said : “ I acknowledge  this  is  very  hard ; 


170 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


still,  in  all  ages  there  have  been  found  men 
brave  enough  to  do  even  this.”  He  turned 
upon  me  hastily  and  said  : “ Madam,  I ask  you 
in  all  fairness,  were  such  laws  to  be  made  to- 
day in  your  Christian  land,  that  if  men  who  are 
already  professing  Christians — who  know  the 
truth  well — should  remain  professors,  they 
should  lose  all  we  do  by  making  a profession, 
how  many  do  you  think  would  recant?  Do 
you  believe  that,  by  this  time  next  month,  there 
would  be  half  the  number  of  professing  Chris- 
tians in  the  United  States  there  are  to-day? 
They  still  might  be  intellectual  Christians, 
but  would  they  be  professing  Christians?” 
With  shame  I had  to  confess  that  I believed  it 
would  be  as  he  suggested.  Persecution  and 
trial  test  the  true  Christian.  How  little  Chris- 
tians at  home  realize  the  difficulties  of  a hea- 
then making  public  profession  of  Christianity  ! 
They  wonder  that  every  one  who  hears  the 
Word  and  sees  the  beauty  of  the  faith  of 
Jesus  does  not  immediately  embrace  it.  How 
many  thousands  of  professing  Christians  at 
home  are  unwilling  to  give  up  worldly  amuse- 
ments, theatre,  opera,  for  Christ’s  sake  ? And 


THINKING  MEN. 


171 


yet  they  wonder  that  the  poor  heathen  are  not 
willing  immediately  to  give  up  all — all  that  this 
life  can  give — for  Christ.  Strange,  strange  in- 
consistency ! May  God  teach  us  to  see  things 
more  clearly  ! 


CHAPTER  TENTH. 


A CYCLONE. 


"OU  have  often  heard  of  the  terrible  storms, 


hurricanes  and  cyclones  that  visit  this 
land.  We  have  just  experienced  one.  Peo- 
ple speak  of  it  as  the  most  fearful  calamity 
that  has  ever  visited  Calcutta,  and  yet,  thank 
God,  we  are  all  alive  and  unharmed.  This 
part  of  India  is  generally  visited  every  few 
years  with  a severe  gale  or  hurricane,  which 
the  inhabitants  have  been  expecting  now  for 
some  time  past.  It  has  come  at  last,  and  was 
the  severest  cyclone  that  has  been  known  here. 
It  began  on  the  4th,  with  high  winds  and  tor- 
rents of  rain,  and  continued  till  the  5th,  when 
it  arose  to  the  fury  of  a hurricane,  blowing  in 
every  direction.  All  the  windows  of  the  Euro- 
pean Orphanage,  where  I was  living,  are  like 
large  glass  folding-doors,  fastened,  when  shut, 
with  strong  iron  bars.  Outside  of  these  are 
strong  Venetian  doors,  twice  the  size  and  thick- 


A CYCLONE. 


173 


ness  of  ours  at  home,  fastened  with  strong  iron 
bolts.  These  open  outwards,  the  glass  doors 
open  inwards.  We  soon  found  that  the  wind 
w'as  tearing  them  in  pieces,  and  although  we 
barricaded  them  and  tied  them  with  ropes,  they 
snapped  like  sticks  and  broke  like  threads. 
The  heavy  wardrobes  were  dashed  across  the 
room,  while  the  glass  from  the  windows  flew  in 
all  directions. 

I cannot  tell  you  how  I felt  here ; I had  a 
flock  of  seventy-four  little  ones  to  he  protected. 
At  first  I thought  they  would  he  safer  down- 
stairs, but  in  a few  minutes  all  our  lower  rooms 
had  water  over  a foot  deep.  I then  collected 
the  children  in  the  hospital,  which  is  a separate 
building  over  our  little  church,  connected  with 
the  house  by  a covered  gallery.  There  I 
thought  they  would  he  the  safest,  as  the  main 
building  in  some  measure  sheltered  them  just 
then.  I left  them  there  for  a little  time,  while 
I tided  to  see  what  could  be  done  for  the  build- 
ing. The  upper  story  was  the  most  exposed. 
We  soon  found  the  outer  doors  were  torn  com- 
pletely away,  but  Ave  tried,  by  piling  beds,  bu- 
reaus and  Avardrobes  against  the  inner  ones,  to 


174 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


keep  them  closed,  for  we  feared  if  the  wind  got 
in  the  roof  would  be  taken  off.  The  elder  girls 
meantime  carried  all  articles  of  value  down 
stairs.  We  soon  found,  however,  that  all  our 
efforts  there  were  useless.  The  iron  bars  of 
the  windows  were  snapped  or  wrenched  from 
their  sockets,  and  came  flying  into  the  room 
with  the  furniture  we  had  piled  against  them, 
and  the  glass  was  scattered  about  in  every 
direction.  We  deemed  it  safer  to  leave  that 
story  to  its  fate,  and  not  risk  life  and  limb  any 
longer  there,  fearing  lest  the  roof  would  be 
blown  off;  as  the  doors  and  windows  Avere  op- 
posite each  other,  and  this  made  a free  SAveep 
for  the  wind.  We  did  all  Ave  could  to  secure 
the  loAver  rooms,  and  then  I went  back  to  the 
children. 

Poor,  frightened  little  flock ! they  gathered 
around  me,  each  one  eager  to  touch  my  dress, 
all  beseeching  me  not  to  leave  them.  I told 
them  that  Ave  Avere  in  a fearful  gale,  but  that 
Ave  had  done  all  we  could  to  make  things 
secure ; that  God  had  told  us  that  we  must 
work  and  pray,  and  noAV,  haAung  done  what 
Ave  could,  Ave  must  commend  ourselves  to  our 


A CYCLONE. 


175 


heavenly  Father’s  care,  without  whose  permis- 
sion not  a hair  of  our  heads  could  he  hurt, 
although  the  house  might  fall  to  pieces.  The 
more  timid  ones  who  were  sobbing  now  hushed, 
then  we  sung  a pretty  little  hymn  commending 
ourselves  to  Almighty  protection.  I asked  the 
children  all  to  kneel  with  me,  while  I prayed  to 
our  heavenly  Father,  and  I was  deeply  affected 
to  hear  every  voice,  even  the  baby’s  (not  two 
years  old),  repeating  each  sentence  of  the  prayer 
after  me.  The  singing  and  prayer  seemed  so 
to  calm  those  little  ones  that  I did  not  hear 
another  word  of  fear  expressed,  while  later  in 
the  afternoon  some  of  them  said,  “ We  have  not 
felt  the  least  fear  since  we  prayed,  for  we  know 
God  will  take  care  of  us.” 

We  had  hnrdly  risen  from  our  knees  when  a 
tremendous  blast  came,  bursting  open  some  of 
the  windows  and  causing  the  whole  building  to 
rock.  Some  people  say  we  had  a slight  shock 
of  earthquake  at  that  time.  We  contrived,  by 
great  effort,  to  get  the  doors  closed,  and  forced 
tables,  benches  and  iron  bedsteads  against  them  ; 
but  as  the  wind  had  veered  round  this  side,  I 
felt  that  tlie  children  were  no  longer  safe  here. 


176 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


In  the  main  building  there  was  one  room  en- 
tirely dark;  but  there  would  be  no  broken  glass 
flying  about  in  it,  and  I saw  it  was  our  last 
place  of  refuge.  It  was  with  intense  anxiety 
that  I saw  the  children  again  cross  the  gallery, 
for  at  the  moment  the  full  force  of  the  wind 
came  in  that  direction,  taking  us  off  our 
feet.  It  was  impossible  to  have  a light  in  the 
dark  room,  on  account  of  the  furious  blasts  of 
wind ; but  croAvded  as  the  dear  children  Avere 
together  in  much  discomfort,  with  nothing  to 
cat  from  seven  in  the  morning,  not  a word  of 
complaint  did  I hear.  At  6 P.  M.  the  storm 
began  to  abate,  and  about  seven  Ave  could  have 
a little  food  brought  in  from  the  cook-room ; it 
had  been  ready  before,  but  they  could  not  bring 
it  to  us,  and  Ave  never  keep  prepared  food  in 
the  house  from  one  meal  to  the  next.  We 
Avere  truly  thankful  thiit  the  storm  had  sub- 
sided before  night.  The  sight  out-of-doors  wms 
sad  in  the  extreme.  Beautiful  trees,  the  growth 
of  a hundred  years,  Avere  torn  up  by  the  roots, 
and  not  a plant  or  shrub  Avas  left  in  the  garden. 
The  trees  fell  across  the  compound  Avail,  and  on 
three  sides  it  is  level  Avith  the  ground.  Provi- 


A CYCLONE. 


177 


(lentially  they  did  not  fall  against  the  house — 
another  mercy  to  be  thankful  for.  After  the 
storm  was  past,  it  took  the  wind  a long  time  to 
sigh  and  sob  itself  to  sleep,  like  a naughty  child 
when  its  passion  is  over. 

Oh,  what  a scene  of  desolation  the  sun  rose 
on  the  next  day  ! The  streets  and  roads  were 
completely  blocked  up  by  the  fallen  trees 
(they  seem  to  have  gone  everywhere)  ; it  made 
me  heart-sick  to  look  on  every  side.  It  will 
take  a century  to  make  Calcutta  look  as  it  did 
before  the  storm.  To  add  to  our  trouble,  the 
Health  Commissioner  sent  us  word  that  all  the 
branches  and  leaves  of  the  follen  trees  must  be 
cut  and  carried  away,  as  their  decay  would  pro- 
duce fever.  We  could  perceive  the  necessity  of 
the  order,  as  in  a very  few  hours  the  air  became 
excessively  heavy  with  the  odor  arising  from 
them.  But  it  was  a very  unfortunate  time  for 
getting  anything  done,  as  it  was  the  season  of 
the  great  Hindoo  festival  of  the  Dougla  Poojah, 
when  all  business  is  suspended,  and  there  is  a 
general  holiday  for  ten  days.  We  finally  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  the  compound  cleared,  by 
giving  all  the  branches,  wood,  &c.,  to  any  one 


178 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


who  would  come  and  take  it  away,  and,  as  the 
poor  people  had  suffered  less  in  the  country, 
they  flocked  in  from  thpre  to  get  the  wood. 

The  desolation  seemed  very  great  on  shore, 
but  the  loss  of  life  was  comparatively  small 
to  that  on  the  river.  The  sight  on  the  strand 
the  day  after  the  storm  was  sad  enough.  Al- 
though the  banks  of  the  river  are  from  ten  to 
twelve  feet  above  the  water,  one  hundred  and 
eighty  ships  have  been  carried  twenty,  thirty 
and  fifty  feet  on  the  shore,  while  twelve  have 
sunk.  We  passed  eight  of  the  English  and 
China  steamers,  as  large  as  the  Cunard  steamers, 
all  on  land,  badly  injured.  On  the  opposite  side 
of  the  river  there  are  two  places  where  ships 
have  been  crushed  in  heaps  on  the  banks,  while 
the  number  of  smaller  vessels  and  boats  that 
have  been  dashed  in  pieces  cannot  be  estimated. 
It  is  impossible  to  describe  the  spectacle  the 
river  presented,  with  numbers  of  dead  bodies 
floating  in  it  upon  which  the  crows  and  vultures 
were  feeding.  It  was  a perfect  cyclone,  the 
Avind  appearing  to  blow  from  all  points  of  the 
compass  at  once.  The  city  looks  as  if  it  had 
been  visited  by  an  earthquake,  for  there  is  not 


A CYCLONE. 


179 


a single  house  left  uninjured,  and  in  many  places 
the  small  houses  of  the  poorer  natives  have 
been  prostrated  by  whole  villages  together. 
The  fiercest  part  of  the  storm  spent  itself  in 
Calcutta  and  its  environs,  within  a circuit  of 
fifty  miles,  and  is  about  as  fearful  a calamity 
as  I have  ever  heard  of.  Language  is  power- 
less to  convey  its  extent.  Along  the  whole 
length  of  the  river  banks,  from  Gorder  Reach 
to  Diamond  Harbor,  were  human  bodies  which 
had  been  washed  on  shore.  A gentleman 
coming  up  the  river  counted  five  thousand. 
The  papers  say,  ‘AVe  are  threatened  with  fa- 
mine on  the  one  hand  and  pestilence  on  the 
other.”  I could  tell  you  much  more  of  the  fear- 
ful effects  of  this  storm,  but  I fear  I have  al- 
ready wearied  you  with  the  description. 


CHAPTER  ELEVENTH. 


BRAHMINS  AND  CASTES. 


ET  me  give  a condensed  account  of  what 


Brahminism  is.  The  Brahmins  are  the 
priests  of  the  Hindoo  religion.  It  is  by  them 
that  the  holy  books  are  preserved,  and  by  them 
all  their  religious  rites  and  ceremonies  are  per- 
formed, consequently  their  whole  religion  has 
for  its  object  the  elevation  of  themselves  on 
the  degradation  of  all  the  other  classes.  They 
say  that  Brahma  was  the  great  god  — the 
creator — that  he,  in  creating  man,  made  four 
distinct  castes  — the  Brahmins,  who  sprung 
from  his  mouth ; the  Kshatriyas,  or  Rajahs,  or 
soldiers,  came  from  his  hands ; the  Yasiyas,  or 
merchants,  came  from  his  loin  ; and  the  Sudras, 
or  cultivators,  Avhich  are  the  lowest.  These  are 
each  again  subdivided  innumerably,  but  no  man 
can  ever  change  his  caste.  If,  by  any  means, 
he  happens  to  have  the  misfortune  to  break  or 
lose  his  caste,  he  does  not  descend  into  a lower 


chalks  abont  Jnbia. 


p.  181. 


Eating  in  India. 


pp.  180, 1»1. 


A.  Silversmith, 


CASTES. 


181 


one,  but  he  becomes  an  outcast.  This  is  simply 
to  be  excommunicated,  for  -svliile  he  is  in  this 
condition  no  one  will  speak  to  him,  no  one  will 
buy  or  sell  to  him,  or  hold  any  business  or 
social  relations  with  him,  and  if  he  dies  in  this 
condition,  he  is  forever  excluded  from  any 
blessedness  hereafter,  and  will  always  be  asso- 
ciated with  unhappy  and  evil  spirits.  Even  if 
he  has  broken  his  caste  involuntarily  or  been 
forced  into  it,  it  is  of  no  consequence,  he  is 
still  an  outcast,  and  he  can  only  be  restored 
again  by  paying  large  sums  of  money  to  the 
Brahmins,  and  performing  w'hatever  penances 
they  may  see  fit  to  inflict.  The  subdivisions 
of  the  different  castes  have  become  so  numer- 
ous now  that  each  distinct  trade  or  calling  is 
called  a distinct  caste  or  class,  and  every  man 
must  remain  in  the  class  of  his  father  and  fol- 
low his  occupation.  Now  the  whole  system  of 
the  Hindoo  worship  is  the  work  of  the  Brahmins, 
who,  in  their  holy  writings,  have  placed  them- 
selves far  above  the  kings.  One  class  only  of 
these  Brahmins  are  priests,  and  they  perform 
all  the  religious  rites  and  ceremonies ; they  are 
called  Gums.  It  is,  of  course,  considered  the 


182 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


highest  act  of  merit  to  give  presents,  &c.,  to  a 
Giirn ; but  it  is  highly  meritorious  to  feast  or 
give  presents  to  any  Brahmin.  The  poor 
Hindoos  have  a great  fear  of  all  Brahmins, 
and  especially  of  their  Gums.  They  believe 
that  the  blessing  of  a Giirn  can  pardon  all 
their  sins,  and  that  the  curse  of  a Gurn  can 
condemn  them  forever  to  hell.  Their  holy 
hooks  are  full  of  fables  that  tell  of  the  most 
wonderful  and  marvellous  power  of  the  Brah- 
mins, and  which  fills  the  minds  of  the  people 
with  fear  and  dread  of  them.  And  the  attend- 
ants or  servants  of  a Guru,  or  other  holy  man, 
do  not  hesitate  to  tell  the  greatest  lies  of  the 
wonderful  power  of  their  master,  which  they 
themselves  pretend  to  have  seen. 

The  Shasters,  or  holy  books,  contain  the  code 
of  laws  by  which  the  Hindoos  are  governed. 
I will  give  you  a few  quotations  from  them. 
Much  that  is  written  therein  is  so  indecent  that 
I could  not  possibly  give  it  to  you,  but  you  will 
see  by  these  that  the  laws  were  all  made  for 
the  benefit  of  the  Brahmins. 

A Brahmin  could  not  be  put  to  death  for  any 
crime  whatever ; he  might  be  imprisoned,  fined, 


BRAHMINS. 


183 


banished,  or  have  his  head  shaved,  but  his  life 
could  not  be  touched. 

The  fines  paid  to  them  from  the  religious 
ceremonies  are  greater  than  the  tributes  paid 
to  the  kings.  I will  give  you  a little  list  of 
these  hereafter. 

If  a Sudra  dared  to  wear  the  Brahmincal 
badge  or  the  sign  of  a Brahmin,  he  must  be 
heavily  fined. 

If  he  in  any  way  molested  a Brahmin,  he 
must  be  put  to  death. 

If  a Brahmin  should  steal  one  of  the  Sudra 
race,  he  must  be  fined ; but  if  a Sudra  stole  a 
Brahmin,  he  must  be  burnt  to  death. 

If  a Sudra  sat  on  a Brahmin’s  carpet,  even 
by  accident,  the  magistrate  must  brand  him 
with  a red-hot  iron,  and  banish  him  from  the 
kingdom. 

If  a Sudra  spat  upon  a Brahmin,  his  lips 
must  be  cut  off.  (By  a Sudra  in  these  cases 
is  meant  any  one  not  a Brahmin.) 

If  he  pulled  a Brahmin’s  hair  or  beard,  or 
seized  his  neck,  the  magistrate  must  cut  off 
both  his  hands. 

If  he  listened  to  reproaches  against  a Brah- 


184 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


min,  he  must  have  hot  lead  poured  into  his 
ears. 

If  a Brahmin  beat  or  struck  a magistrate, 
he  must  be  fined;  but  if  a Sudra  did  this, 
he  must  have  an  iron  spit  run  through  him  and 
be  roasted  alive. 

And  these  same  Shasters  teach  that  not  only 
will  they  be  thus  punished  on  earth  for  any 
disrespect  to  the  Brahmins,  but  the  direst  pun- 
ishments will  follow  after  death. 

For  any  one  to  perform  the  most  menial 
offices  for  a Brahmin  is  highly  meritorious. 

To  present  gifts  to  the  Brahmins  at  the  hour 
of  death  is  spoken  of  in  the  Shasters  as  a work 
of  merit,  destroying  all  sin,  and  followed  in  the 
next  world  with  great  happiness.  It  is  con- 
sidered a great  privilege  to  drink  water  in 
which  a Brahmin  has  dipped  his  toe.  And 
many  low-caste  men  will  do  this  daily,  think- 
ing thus  to  purify  themselves,  or  to  remove 
some  disease. 

To  tell  a lie  to  serve  a Brahmin  is  an  act  of 
duty.  If  a Brahmin  is  reading  the  Veda,  or 
holy  books,  aloud,  it  is  sacrilege  for  any  one 
even  to  listen,  unless  he  orders  him  to  do  so. 


FEES  OF  BRAHMINS. 


185 


Fines  and  Fees  to  Brahmins. — The  follow- 
ing account  of  these  is  taken  from  “Ward’s 
India,”  one  of  the  best  books  on  their  manners 
and  customs.  He  says,  “ It  is  evident  that  this 
whole  fabric  of  superstition  is  the  work  of  the 
Brahmins  for  their  own  especial  benefit.  No 
person  may  teach  the  Veda  but  a Brahmin;  a 
spiritual  guide  must  be  a Brahmin ; every 
priest  must  be  a Brahmin ; the  offerings  to  the 
gods  must  be  given  to  Brahmins.” 

No  ceremony  is  meritorious  without  a fee  to 
the  officiating  Brahmin. 

Numberless  ceremonies  have  been  invented 
to  increase  the  wealth  of  the  Brahmins.  Three 
times,  before  the  birth  of  a child,  a Brahmin 
must  repeat  certain  formulas,  when  he  is  feasted 
and  receives  a fee.  This  must  be  repeated  at 
the  birth ; then  when  the  child  is  eight  days 
old ; again  when  it  is  six  months  old ; when  it 
is  two  years  old ; once  more  at  eight  or  nine ; 
and  again  at  marriage. 

In  sickness  the  Brahmin  is  paid  for  repeat- 
ing forms  for  the  restoration  of  the  patient. 
After  death,  his  son  must  perform  the  Shard, 
the  offerings  and  fees  at  which  are  given  to  the 

13 


186 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


Brahmins — twelve  times  during  the  first  year, 
and  then  annually. 

If  a Hindoo  meets  with  a misfortune,  he 
must  pay  a Brahmin  to  read  incantations  for  its 
removal.  If  his  cow  dies,  he  must  pay  a Brah- 
min to  make  an  atonement ; if  he  loses  a piece 
of  gold,  he  must  do  the  same.  If  a vulture  set- 
tles on  his  house,  he  must  pay  a Brahmin  to 
purify  his  dwelling.  If  he  goes  into  a new  house, 
he  must  pay  a Brahmin  to  purify  it.  If  he  dies 
on  an  unlucky  day,  his  son  must  employ  a Brah- 
min to  remove  the  evil  effects  of  it.  If  a man  cuts 
or  digs  a pool  or  a wmll,  he  must  pay  a Brahmin 
to  consecrate  it ; if  he  dedicates  a temple  or  a 
tree  to  the  gods,  or  a new  idol,  he  must  do  the 
same. 

At  the  time  of  an  eclipse,  or  on  certain  lunar 
days,  gifts  must  be  presented, to  the  Brahmins. 
During  the  year  about  forty  ceremonies  are 
performed,  when  the  Brahmins  are  feasted  and 
receive  fees.  Besides  these,  there  are  numerous 
times  wdien  the  Brahmins  receive  fees  and  are 
feasted — as,  if  a person  supposes  himself  to  be 
under  the  influence  of  an  evil  planet,  or  if  any 
special  vow  is  made.  A ceremony  is  performed 


FEES  OF  BRAHMINS. 


187 


at  the  time  of  the  smallpox  ; when  people  fast ; 
for  the  removal  of  cutaneous  diseases  ; at  the 
daily  offering  of  worship  to  the  family  god ; 
when  the  farmer  reaps  his  harvest;  when  a 
tradesman  begins  his  business  ; when  a fisher- 
man builds  a new  boat,  or  begins  to  fish  in  a 
new  place — these,  and  many  others  too  numer- 
ous to  mention.  At  different  festivals,  perhaps 
a hundred  feasts  will  be  given  at  one  village  on 
the  same  day.  The  cooks  must  all  be  Brah- 
mins who  have  been  paid  for  their  services  in 
getting  this  all  ready  by  the  masters  of  the 
house,  and  they  must  only  stand  by  and  look 
on  while  their  guests  eat,  and  then  dismiss 
them  with  presents.  At  the  house  of  a Rajah, 
at  particular  festivals,  sometimes  as  many  as 
twenty  thousand  Brahmins  are  feasted. 

‘‘  Thus,  you  see,  every  form  and  ceremony 
of  religion,  all  festivals,  and  every  accident  and 
concern  of  life,  draws  a fee  from  the  poor  Hin- 
doo to  the  Brahmin.”  It  is  the  most  onerous 
system  of  oppression  that  ever  existed,  but  the 
poor  Hindoo’s  belief  in  it  is  as  firm  and  deep- 
rooted  as  superstition,  ignorance,  and  terror  can 
make  it.  Do  you  wonder  that  it  is  so  difficult 


188 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


to  bring  the  gospel  of  Jesus  to  the  acceptance 
of  the  people  ? The  Brahmin,  ^Tith  all  his 
pride,  haughtiness  and  self-sufficiency,  is  very 
loth  to  give  up  his  dominion,  absolute  as  it  is, 
over  the  bodies,  souls,  and  property  of  his  fel- 
low men,  and  to  be  placed  on  the  same  level 
with  the  poor  sudra,  who  hitherto  has  almost 
worshipped  him,  as  a poor,  guilty  sinner  before 
God,  and  rvho  equally  needs  the  atoning  blood 
of  Christ  with  this  poor  fellow  whom  he  has 
hitherto  despised.  Oh,  what  a deep  humbling 
of  the  pride  of  the  human  heart  this  is ! Men 
brought  up  in  a Christian  land  cannot  realize 
it.  For  the  greatest  king  on  earth  to  place 
himself  on  a level  with  the  lowest  and  most 
degraded  beggar  in  his  land,  and  not  only  to 
consider  himself  but  to  have  every  one  else 
consider  him  really  and  truly  on  that  same 
level,  would  not  be  half  as  revolting  to  him  as 
it  is  for  a Brahmin  to  consider  himself,  and  to 
be  considered  by  others,  and  even  by  God  him- 
self, on  the  same  platform  as  the  lowest  sudras. 
Oh,  dear  friends,  it  is  nothing  but  grace,  mar- 
vellous grace,  that  can  ever  work  such  a mira- 
cle as  this ! And  then,  the  poor  ignorant 


CASTE. 


189 


people  have  always  looked  up  to  these  men  as 
demigods.  In  fact,  they  are  thought  even  more 
po’werful  than  the  gods,  for  they  believe  that 
they  can  force  the  gods  to  do  what  they  please. 
Do  you  wonder  that  they  do  not  accept  a 
religion,  the  receiving  of  which,  or  even  lis- 
tening to  wdiich,  draw's  down  upon  them  the 
most  terrible  curses  of  these  men  to  whom  they 
have  always  looked  up  wdth  such  reverence, 
respect  and  fear  ? The  longer  I remain  in  In- 
dia the  more  I look  upon  each  native  Christian 
as  a miracle  of  divine  power.  Surely,  this  re- 
ligion is  Satan’s  masterpiece  for  the  destruction 
of  human  souls.  It  seems  impossible  that  any- 
thing more  diabolical  could  have  been  invented. 

Caste  Customs. — What  a heavy  burden  this 
caste  must  be  upon  the  poor  people  here  ! 
Yesterday  a poor  woman,  one  of  the  very  lowest 
caste,  who  was  cutting  grass  in  the  compound, 
was  suddenly  seized  wdth  cholera  (she  was  dead 
in  a few  hours).  One  of  the  servants  came  in 
a great  hurry  to  tell  me.  I immediately  took 
some  chlorine — which  the  doctor  had  told  me 
always  to  keep  in  the  house  for  any  such  emer- 
gency— and  went  out  with  it  to  her ; but  she 


190 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


would  not  take  it  because  I had  touched  the 
vessel  that  contained  it.  Poor  thing  ! she  lost 
her  life  in  consequence ; as  of  course  the  dis- 
ease got  thoroughly  hold  of  her  before  anything 
could  be  done,  since  they  had  to  carry  her  home, 
and  then  get  her  some  native  remedies. 

To-day  the  housekeeper  called  the  hearer 
several  times, but  he  neither  came  nor  answered; 
so  she  went  out  to  his  little  house  to  see  if  he 
was  there,  and  she  found  him  eating  his  dinner. 
He  immediately  rose  and  came  to  me  in  a great 
rage,  and  with  bitter  complaints  demanded 
money,  not  onl}’  to  buy  fresh  food,  but  also  to 
replace  his  cooking  utensils,  which  he  had  been 
obliged  to  break  and  throw  away.  For  Mrs.  G. 
had  gone  into  his  room  and  stood  on  the  same 
floor  with  his  food ; therefore  it  had  become  so 
polluted  that  not  only  must  he  throw  that  food 
away,  but  the  vessels  must  be  destroyed,  as  it 
would  break  his  caste  to  eat  food  that  might 
even  be  cooked  in  them  again.  What  bondage  ! 
Surely  Satan  is  a hard  master. 

In  one  of  my  zenanas  I have  two  women  who 
have  been  quite  sick — one  with  a low  fever — 
for  some  time.  I found  her  better  to-day ; her 


CASTE. 


191 


fever  had  left  her,  but  she  was  very  weak  and  her 
pulse  very  feeble.  Her  mother  asked  me  what 
she  should  give  her  to  eat.  I could  not  think, 
as  1 knew  they  would  not  touch  beef  tea  or 
chicken  broth.  At  length  I suggested  some 
arrowroot  with  port  wine.  “ Oh,  no ; port 
wine  she  must  not  touch  ; it  is  against  her 
caste.”  Then  I told  her  how  to  make  a custard. 
But  again  she  must  not  touch  a chicken’s  egg. 
Yet  strange  to  say,  1 found  that  though  they 
may  not  touch  a chicken’s  egg,  they  may  a 
duck’s  eggs.  They  could  give  me  no  reason 
why  this  should  be  so,  only  it  is  so.  I then  told 
her  to  use  a duck’s  egg,  and  to  take  a stick  of 
cinnamon  and  boil  it  in  the  milk  to  take  aAvay 
the  strong  taste  of  the  duck’s  egg.  It  really 
must  be  hard  for  them  to  remember  what  they 
may  or  may  not  eat.  I do  trust  that  the  day 
is  not  far  distant  when  they  shall  learn  that  it 
is  not  in  meats  or  drinks  that  we  serve  God, 
but  in  righteousness  and  true  holiness. 


CHAPTER  TWELFTH. 


SUPERSTITIONS. 


YING  MAN. — Yesterday  I was  passing 


through  one  of  the  little  villages  of  native 
huts  that  are  scattered  up  and  down  throughout 
the  city.  The  people  of  one  class  or  caste  gen- 
erally cluster  together  in  one  place.  All  in  this 
village,  though  poor,  are  of  very  good  caste, 
but  the  women  are  not  permitted  to  be  seen. 
The  houses  are  small  and  poor,  not  much  more 
than  mere  mud  huts,  with  a little  spot  of  ground 
as  a sort  of  court  attached  to  each.  This  is 
enclosed  by  a mud  wall,  or  a sort  of  fence  made 
of  matting,  to  screen  the  female  inmates  of  the 
house  from  the  other  inhabitants  of  the  village, 
when  they  may  be  obliged  to  be  in  this  court, 
for  it  is  here  that  they  perform  all  their  culinary 
operations.  I pity  the  women,  Avho  are  of  good 
caste,  who  have  to.  IHe  in  these  poor  villages, 
for  they  are  even  worse  olf  than  those  in  the 
larger  zenanas,  as  tlieir  quarters  are  so  much 


SUPERSTITIONS. 


193 


closer  and  more  stifling.  Yet  I teach  in  several 
of  these,  but  not  in  this  village  ; I had  never 
been  here  before,  but  I was  opening  a girls’ 
school  near  by,  and  wanted  to  see  if  I could 
not  get  some  scholars  here.  I know  more  of 
these  places  in  the  city  already  than  many 
English  ladies  who  have  lived  here  most  of 
their  lives.  Few  will  penetrate  into  these  places, 
but  I have  no  fear,  consequently  I was  the  first 
white  woman  that  most  of  these  women  had 
seen,  and  so  was  an  object  of  much  curiosity. 
As  I passed  along,  I saw  a poor  man  lying  on 
the  ground  outside  one  of  the  lints,  in  a high 
fever  and  wildly  raving  in  delirium,  two  men 
holding  him.  He  Avas  very  ill,  and  yet  lying 
out  in  the  broiling  sun.  I begged  them  to  take 
him  into  the  house  in  the  shade,  and  put  ice  or 
cold  water  on  his  head ; but  they  said,  “ No ! 
that  was  not  their  custom.  They  Avere  sure 
he  Avas  going  to  die,  and  they  Avere  only  Avaiting 
till  his  brother  should  come,  then  they  Avere 
going  to  take  him  doAvn  to  the  Ganges,  and  lay 
him  by  that  sacred  river  to  die  there.  They 
had  been  afraid  that  he  might  die  before  the 
brother  came,  and  so  they  had  brought  him  out 


194 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


of  the  house  and  laid  him  there,  as  some  dread- 
ful misfortune  would  be  sure  to  happen  if  they 
allowed  him  to  die  in  the  house.”  I again 
begged  them  to  place  him  in  the  shade  and 
give  him  some  water.  They  would  not  listen 
to  me.  ‘‘  It  was  not  their  custom.”  Surely, 
surely,  “ the  tender  mercies  of  the  wicked  are 
cruel.”  Unchristianized  humanity  is  as  the 
brute  that  perisheth. 

Ghost  Story. — I went  over  to  Bishop’s  Col- 
lege the  other  day,  to  spend  the  evening,  and 

I met  there  a Mr.  F , one  of  the  students. 

He  is  an  Italian.  He  was  a Roman  Catholic 
priest — a friar  of  the  Capuchin  order — in  Sicily. 
About  five  years  ago  he  became  a convert  to 
Protestantism,  and  now  he  is  studying  for  a few 
months  before  he  is  ordained  in  the  Episcopal 
Church.  He  says  he  has  had  a sore  trial  in 
being  disowned  by  his  family,  since  his  profes- 
sion of  the  Protestant  faith.  He  cannot  hear 
from  one  of  them  ; but  more  especially  he  feels 
it  with  regard  to  his  mother.  Oh,  what  an  in- 
fluence for  good  or  for  ill  a mother  wields  ! 
To  see  the  strong,  middle-aged  man  bow  down 
at  thoughts  of  his  mother,  where  nothing  else 


SUPERSTITIONS. 


195 


will  move  him,  should  be  a lesson,  indeed,  to 
mothers  of  how  they  use  their  influence.  He 
was  telling  us  of  some  of  his  experiences  as  a 
friar.  Among  other  things  he  said  : “ In  my 
convent  under  the  Capuchin  monastery  in  the 
island  of  Sicily,'*"  we  had  very  extensive  cata- 
combs, laid  out  in  different  corridors  and  gal- 
leries. Some  were  for  the  rich  gentlemen  of 
the  island,  others  for  the  ladies,  and  others, 
again,  for  children.  These  passages  and  gal- 
leries would  receive  light  and  air  from  above, 
so  that,  though  under  ground,  yet  they  were 
perfectly  lighted  and  ventilated.  One  of  these 
galleries  was  exclusively  devoted  to  the  recep- 
tion of  the  remains  of  the  friars  of  the  convent, 
and  here  they  had  been  buried  for  several  hun- 
dreds of  years.  When  a friar  died — and  the 
same  mode  was  observed  with  all  others  brought 
here — the  body  was  embalmed  and  placed  in  a 
box ; then  a deep  hole  was  dug  in  the  convent 


* On  my  last  return  to  this  country,  our  steamer  stopped 
at  Palermo,  in  the  island  of  Sicily,  and  I went  on  shore  and 
visited  these  Catacombs,  and  I saw  everything  exactly  as  he 
described  it — even  to  the  old  fellow  who  had  so  frightened 
him. 


196 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


grounds,  and  the  box  was  put  upright  into  the 
hole,  with  a large  stone  covering  the  top.  The 
bodies  here  dried  up,  leaving  the  entire  skeleton 
with  a skin  like  parchment  over  it.  At  the 
end  of  the  year  the  body  was  disinterred,  the 
habiliments  of  the  grave  were  taken  off,  and  it 
was  re-dressed — the  friars  in  the  habits  of  their 
order,  the  rich  ladies  and  gentlemen  in  costly 
apparel,  as  though  they  were  going  to  some 
grand  entertainment.  These,  as  I saw  them, 
appeared  to  me  far  more  ghastly  than  the  friars. 
In  the  galleries  devoted  to  the  ladies  and 
gentlemen  the  bodies  Avere  lying  on  shelves 
Avith  a Avire  netAvork  in  front  of  them.  Many 
of  the  ladies  in  blue,  Avhite,  or  pink  satin  ball 
dresses,  Avith  Avhite  satin  shoes  on,  and  Avhite 
kid  gloves  hanging  loose  on  the  bony,  fleshless 
hands,  and  on  the  grinning,  fleshless  skull, 
Avreaths  of  artificial  floAvers.  Oh,  it  Avas,  indeed, 
a mockery  of  death  ; the  most  ghastly,  hideous 
spectacle  it  Avas  possible  to  behold.  Each  one 
had  his  or  her  name,  Avith  the  date  of  death, 
on  a metal  label  hanoing  round  the  neck.  The 
dates  of  some  Avere  over  three  hundred  years 
old ; others  not  three  years  ago.  Imagine 


SUPERSTITIONS. 


197 


friends  coming  to  gaze  at  tlieir  loved  ones 
in  this  state ! As  I looked  at  the  sad  proofs 
of  the  triumphs  of  our  great  enemy,  how  I 
thanked  God  for  the  gospel  of  Jesus,  which 
teaches  us  that  ‘ Death  is  swalloAved  up  in 
victory and  that  when  we  lay  the  mortal  re- 
mains of  our  loved  ones  to  sleep  in  the  dust,  Ave 
can  feel  that  he  is  not  here — he  is  risen. 
How  very  little  Homanism  is  superior  to 
heathenism  ! The  friars,  however,  dressed  in 
the  habit  of  the  order,  are  placed  each  one 
in  a niche  in  the  Avail,  in  an  upright  position, 
held  so  by  means  of  cords  round  the  Avaist  and 
neck,  fastened  to  hooks  behind  in  the  niche. 
There  are  tAvo  or  three  very  long  galleries  ap- 
propriated exclusively  to  these  friars.  The  pas- 
sages or  galleries  are  about  six  feet  Avide,  and  the 
niches  with  the  figures  in  them  line  the  Avhole 
passages  on  either  hand ; a tall  man,  standing  in 
the  centre,  could  stretch  out  his  arms  and  touch 
the  figures  on  each  side.  Here,  in  this  ghostly 
company,  many  of  the  more  devout  friars  go 
to  pray ; and  on  certain  days,  the  friends  of 
the  deceased  Avere  alloAved  to  come  and  light 
candles  in  trout  of  them,  and  there  pray  for  the 


198 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


repose  of  their  souls.  A light  also  was  kept 
burning  all  night,  for  the  benefit  of  those 
wfiio  might  choose  to  come  and  watch  and  pray 
at  that  time ; for,  like  the  heathen,  they  think 
the  greater  the  suffering  the  greater  the  merit. 
It  was  the  duty  of  the  young  noAuce  to  go  down 
every  evening,  just  at  dark,  to  light  this  lamp. 

One  evening  one  of  the  other  novices  and 
myself  were  sent  to  perform  this  duty.  As  we 
Avent  we  Avere  laughing  and  chatting  to  keep 
up  our  spirits,  for  you  must  know  that  Ave 
Avere  all  of  us  in  the  convent  very  superstitious, 
and  firm  believers  in  ghosts.  I Avas  standing 
on  a step-ladder  and  about  to  light  the  big  lamp 
Avhich  hung  from  the  ceiling,  Avhen  I cast  my 
eyes  in  the  corner  of  the  gallery,  and  there, 
only  a feAv  feet  from  Avhere  Ave  stood,  I saAv 
one  of  these  old  friars,  Avho  had  been  dead  for 
many  years,  nodding  his  head,  and  shaking  it 
from  side  to  side.  Imagine  my  horror.  I can 
hardly  now  recall  my  feelings  Avithout  shud- 
dering. Clutching  my  companion’s  shoulder, 
I pointed  out  to  him  the  horrid  sight.  He 
screamed  Avith  terror,  and  let  fall  the  lantern 
from  his  hands,  thus  leaving  us  in  total  dark- 


SUPERSTITIONS. 


199 


ness.  Who  can  describe  our  agonizing  terror  as 
we  sought  to  regain  the  entrance,  particularly 
as  we  were  compelled  to  pass  this  object  in  that 
narrow  passage  on  our  way  out!  We  fancied 
every  moment  a hand  would  be  stretched  out 
to  seize  us.  In  our  fright  we  mistook  the  way, 
and  were,  therefore,  a long  time  in  getting  out. 
Had  there  been  one  only  instead  of  two  of  us, 
he  certainly  never  would  have  come  out  alive ; 
terror  would  have  killed  him.  Our  screams, 
as  we  fled  up  the  stairs  after  we  did  find  the 
entrance  (it  is  a very  long  flight),  soon  sum- 
moned the  holy  brotherhood,  the  abbot  amongst 
them.  It  was  some  time  before  we  could  re- 
cover ourselves  sufficiently  to  tell  the  cause  of 
our  distress.  The  abbot  then  ordered  the  old 
sacristan  to  take  a light  and  go  down  and  ex- 
amine into  the  matter,  telling  us  that  if  he 
found  we  had  been  deceiving  him,  he  would 
impose  a heavy  penance  upon  us.  The  poor 
old  sacristan,  it  was  evident,  did  not  like  the 
duty  imposed  on  him.  He  Avent  down  the 
steps  very  slowly  and  carefully,  holding  the 
light  high  above  his  head ; but  he  had  scarcely 
reached  the  entrance  ere  he  uttered  a frightful 


200 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


yell,  and  came  tearing  up  the  stairs  at  a very 
different  pace  from  that  at  which  he  had  de- 
scended. As  soon  as  he  could  recover  breath 
he  exclaimed,  ‘ The  devil  is  there ! the  devil  is 
there  !’  And  most  loudly  he  confirmed  what 
we  had  seen.  The  abbot  then  sent  for  a vase 
of  holy  water  and  a censer  of  incense,  and 
armed  with  these  to  drive  away  the  evil  one, 
the  whole  body  of  friars  descended,  many  of 
them  bearing  lights.  They  paused  ere  they 
reached  the  entrance,  all  those  that  had  torches 
or  lights  holding  them  aloft,  so  that  they  might 
throw  their  light  upon  that  one  poor  old  figure. 
But  they  were  all  nearly  as  much  frightened 
as  we  had  been  when  they  perceived  the  poor 
old  head  shaking  from  side  to  side,  and  nod- 
ding violently  at  them.  The  abbot  threw  his 
vase  of  holy  water  at  the  poor  mummy,  mut- 
tering some  incantations,  but  the  actions  of  the 
head  only  seemed  to  become  more  frantic.  You 
almost  wondered  that  it  was  not  shaken  off  the 
body  by  the  violence  of  the  motions.  At  length 
one,  a little  braver  than  the  rest,  went  a little 
nearer  to  take  a closer  inspection,  and  then  he 
quickly  found  out  the  cause  of  this  strange 


SUPERSTITIONS. 


201 


phenomenon.  When  buried,  the  face  of  this 
corpse  had  not  been  properly  tied  up,  and  the 
lower  jaw  had  fallen,  leaving  the  mouth  wide 
open,  but  he  had  a long  beard  and  mustache. 
By  some  strange  chance  a rat  (whether  bent 
upon  some  wise  anatomical  discovery  or  not  I 
cannot  say)  had  crawled  up  the  body  and  into 
the  open  mouth,  but  when  once  there  he  could 
not  turn  round  or  get  out  again  (a  strange  rat- 
trap),  and  his  wild  efforts  to  free  himself 
caused  the  motions  that  had  excited  our  alarm. 
His  tail  had  so  mingled  with  the  hair  of  the 
beard  that  at  a distance  we  had  not  seen  it.” 
I dare  say  many  another  rat  before  and  since 
has  been  the  veritable  hero  of  a ghost-story. 
The  Italian  told  us  many  other  incidents  of 
convent  life,  none,  however,  tending  to  in- 
crease our  idea  of  its  holiness.  One  penance 
which  these  novices  had  to  perform  when  they 
talked  too  much  was  to  scrape  their  tongues 
along  the  ground  for  a distance  of  about  a hun- 
dred yards.  It  was  a cruel  punishment,  but 
one  which  effectually  prevented  them  from 
committing  the  same  offence, — for  some  days 

any  rate.  He  told  us  that  there  was  scarcely 
14 


202 


TALES  ABOUT  INDIA. 


one  Italian  priest  that  had  ever  seen  any  more 
of  his  Bible  than  what  was  found  in  his  rosary. 
It  is  sad  to  know  this  fact.  In  many  places 
these  are  the  only  professing  Christians  that 
the  heathens  have  ever  seen. 


r 


I 


* '}.  i 


t-. 


I • 


^alKs  about  Jnbia. 


p. 


A boat  on  the  Ganges. 


CHAPTER  FIFTEENTH. 


THE  SACRED  GANGES. 

Dying  by  the  Ganges.— i had  a pupil 

in  one  of  my  zenanas,  to  whom  I had  be- 
come quite"^  attached.  She  was  a high-caste 
woman,  but  one  day,  when  seeing  after  the 
cooking,  she  let  a billet  of  wood  fall  upon  her 
foot.  At  first  she  did  not  think  much  of  it, 
though  it  was  very  painful.  The  pain  continued 
to  grow  worse  and  worse,  and  to  extend  further 
up  the  leg,  and,  as  was  discovered  afterwards, 
she  had  broken  the  bone,  and  a terrible  abscess 
formed.  I begged  them  to  have  a doctor,  but 
they  would  not  consent ; till  at  last  she  was 
suffering  so  frightfully  that  they  sent  for  an 
English  doctor,  and  hiding  her  behind  a cur- 
tain, they  let  her  put  her  foot  through,  that  he 
might  see  it.  He  said  it  was  too  late,  he  could 
do  nothing,  gangrene  had  set  in.  Every  time 
I went  there  she  seemed  glad  to  see  me,  and  I 
always  tried  to  point  her  to  the  Saviour,  who 


204 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


had  prepared  a home  in  heaven  for  her  if  she 
would  only  accept  it.  The  last  time  I Avent 
there  she  was  unconscious,  but  her  daughter- 
in-law  told  me  that  she  had  been  praying  to 
the  one  great  God ; she  would  not  look  at  one 
of  her  idols,  or  call  on  one  of  their  names.  And 
who  shall  limit  the  tender  mercies  of  the  Most 
High  ? He  requireth  from  a man  that  which 
he  hath,  not  that  which  he  hath  not.  The 
brazen  serpent  in  the  wilderness  has  been  a 
great  comfort  to  me  in  my  work  here,  for  I feel 
that  if  one  look  at  that  could  save  the  Israelite 
who  had  been  bitten  by  the  fiery  serpents, 
surely  one  look  at  the  cross  of  Christ  will  be 
sufficient  to  save  those  who  have  been  so  sorely 
bitten  by  the  old  serpent,  the  devil.  She  con- 
tinued in  this  unconscious  state  for  two  or  three 
days,  and  then  they  thought  she  Avas  dying. 
So  the  old  people  insisted  upon  carrying  her 
down  to  the  Ganges  to  die.  She  was  laid  upon 
a cliorpoy  (a  sort  of  low  bedstead) . The  legs  and 
side  posts  of  it  are  made  of  bamboo,  and  a sort 
of  sacking  is  made  by  interlacing  twine  across. 
On  this  the  sick  or  dying  person  is  placed, 
without  mattress  or  pillow ; only  a sheet  being 


THE  SACRED  GANGES. 


205 


thrown  over  them.  This  woman  was  taken  to 
the  river,  the  feet  of  the  clioi'poy  being  placed 
in  the  water.  Two  servants  were  left  to  watch 
her,  and  to  give  her  water  if  she  should  want 
any.  Ttvo  were  left  to  watch,  so  that  when 
she  did  breathe  her  last,  one  might  remain  with 
the  corpse,  while  the  other  returned  to  give 
notice  to  the  family.  She  lay  there  in  this 
state  of  unconsciousness  for  twenty-four  hours, 
and  then  quietly  passed  away.  The  servant 
immediately  informed  the  family,  and  the  son 
directly  went  down  to  see  his  mother  burnt, 
and  to  perform  the  funeral  shrad.  In  a few 
hours  nothing  remained  of  her  but  a little  heap 
of  ashes.  Does  not  heathenism  destroy  every 
vestige  of  humanity  ? Here  was  a tender, 
loving  mother  left  in  her  last  moments  to  die 
without  one  of  her  loved  ones  near  her.  The 
Lord  hasten  the  day  when  the  love  of  God 
shed  abroad  in  their  hearts  ” shall  teach  them 
true  love  to  one  another  ! 

The  Sacred  River  Ganges. — The  Ganges  is 
nearly  two  thousand  miles  in  length,  and  varies 
in  breadth  from  a quarter  of  a mile  to  a mile 
and  a half.  The  river  is  very  sacred,  and,  in- 


206 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


deed,  is  considered  one  of  their  greatest  divin- 
ities. It  is  called  the  great  goddess  Gunga. 
Their  Shasters,  or  holy  hooks,  tell  them  that 
the  touch  of  the  Ganges  water  takes  away  all 
sins,  however  great.  Morning  and  evening  the 
Hindoos  like  to  bathe  in  this  river  to  remove 
the  sins  of  the  night  or  of  the  day.  Those  who 
live  far  away  from  its  holy  waters  will  give 
large  sums  to  obtain  a bottleful,  and  many  men 
walk  hundreds  of  miles  to  fetch  jars  of  it,  and 
then  sell  it  at  a very  high  price. 

In  Ward’s  India  he  gives  a long  account  of 
this  river.  I select  a few  sentences  from  it 
that  you  may  see  how  its  waters  are  prized. 
He  says : ‘‘  The  Hindoos  are  extremely  anx- 
ious to  die- in  sight  of  the  Ganges,  that  their 
sins  may  be  washed  away  in  their  last  moments. 
A person  in  his  last  agonies  is  frequently 
dragged  from  his  bed  and  his  friends,  and  car- 
ried, in  the  coldest  or  hottest  weather,  from 
great  distances  to  the  river  side,  where  he  lies,  if 
a poor  man,  without  a covering  day  or  night 
until  he  expires.  With  the  pains  of  death  upon 
him  he  is  placed  up  to  the  middle  in  the  water 
and  drenched  with  it.  Leaves  of  the  toohey 


THE  SACRED  GANGES. 


207 


plant  are  put  in  his  mouth,  and  he  is  told  to 
repeat  the  names  of  different  gods,  as  Vishnoo, 
Siva,  Gunga.  The  relatives  or  attendants 
will  then  take  up  some  of  the  mud  of  the 
river  and  daub  his  forehead,  breast,  and  body. 
If  a person  choose  to  die  at  home  his  memory 
becomes  infamous.”  Another  authority  says  : 
“ It  is  estimated  that  upon  an  average  one 
thousand  sick  persons  per  day  are  brought  to 
the  Ganges  to  die.”  Formerly,  when  a sick 
person  was  once  taken  to  that  river  to  die,  he 
was  regarded  by  the  Hindoo  law  as  dead  al- 
ready. His  property  was  taken  possession  of 
by  his  heirs,  and  if  he  did  recover,  which  some- 
times happened,  he  became  an  outcast.  He 
was  not  allowed  to  re-enter  his  home,  and  no 
one  would  give  him  anything  to  eat  or  do  any- 
thing for  him,  and  he  generally  died  at  length 
of  starvation.  Now,  the  English  government 
insists,  when  such  a person  recovers,  that  he 
shall  be  taken  back  to  his  own  home,  but  in 
that  case  they  have  to  pay  a large  sum  of  money 
to  the  Brahmin  priests  to  prevent  the  family 
losing  caste.  When  a person  dies  without 
having  been  brought  to  the  Ganges,  friends  will 


208 


TALKS  ABOUT  INDIA. 


try  to  have  him  burnt  near  this  river;  and 
when  they  cannot  bring  the  whole  body,  they 
will  frequently  bring  a single  bone  and  cast  it 
into  the  river,  under  the  hope  that  it  will  help 
the  soul  of  the  deceased. 

One  of  their  old  and  sacred  books,  called 
Kriya-yogusaru,  has  this  story  in  it : “A  Brah- 
min, who  had  been  guilty  of  the  greatest  crimes, 
was  devoured  by  wild  beasts  ; his  bones  only 
remained.  A crow  took  up  one  of  these  bones 
and  was  carrying  it  over  Gunga  (the  river 
Ganges),  when,  another  bird  darting  upon  it, 
the  crow  let  the  bone  fall.  As  soon  as  the 
bone  touched  Gunga  the  Brahmin  sprung  to  life 
and  was  ascending  to  heaven,  when  the  messen- 
gers of  Guma  (the  judge  of  the  dead)  seized 
him  as  a great  sinner.  At  this  time  Nara- 
yunu’s  (Narayunu  is  one  of  the  names  of  Vish- 
noo)  messengers  interfered,  and  pleaded  that 
the  sins  of  this  man,  since  one  of  his  bones  had 
touched  Gunga,  were  all  done  away.  They 
then  appealed  to  Vishnoo,  who  decided  in  the 
Brahmin’s  favor.  The  Brahmin  immediately 
went  to  heaven.” 

Dear  friends,  might  we  not  impress  a lesson 


THE  SACRED  GANGES. 


209 


by  this  Hindoo  fable  ? A sinner,  no  matter  how 
vile  he  may  be,  if  with  the  slightest  faith — the 
smallest  particle  of  faith — he  can  but  touch 
Jesus,  all  his  sins,  no  matter  how  vile,  are  in- 
stantly removed ; and  although  “ the  accuser 
of  the  brethren”  may  rise  up  against  him  and 
bring  all  his  sins  to  his  remembrance,  he  can 
say  triumphantly,  “ The  blood  of  Jesus  Christ 
cleanseth  from  all  sin,”  and  he  can  rest  assured 
that  he  Avill  enter  heaven.  Pray  that  these 
poor  Hindoos,  as  a nation,  may  soon  learn  to 
know  of  that  “ fountain  ” which  is  open  “ for  sin 
and  for  uncleanness.” 


INDEX 


Adjutant,  .... 

113 

Animals  and  Insects, 

112 

Ants,  ..... 

122 

Ants,  White, 

123 

Beds,  Hard,  .... 

20 

Bhistie,  ..... 

62 

Boats,  Masoolie,  . 

19 

Bore,  The,  .... 

50 

Brahmins  and  Castes,  . 

16, 

180 

Brahmins,  Fines  and  Fees  of. 

185 

Breakfast,  Little,  . 

21 

Bridal  Procession, 

107 

Cahul  Traders, 

86 

Calcutta,  .... 

46 

Caste  Customs, 

180 

Cheating,  . • . . 

88 

Cholera,  .... 

79 

Chota  Iladjeree,  . 

21 

Church,  Henry  Martin’s, 

148 

Churuck  Pooja, 

130 

Coolie  in  the  Bazaar, 

150 

Courtship,  .... 

105 

Customs,  Cruel, 

74 

212 


INDEX. 


PAGE 

Customs,  Marriage,  .......  102 

Customs,  New  Year’s,  .......  26 

Cyclone,  A, 172-179 

Dhabi, 68 

Dress, 59 

Drink  and  Stimulants,  .......  39 

Dying  by  the  Ganges, 203 

Examinations,  Boys’  School, 35 

Fakir,  or  Holy  Man,  .......  161 

Festival,  Hindoo, 158 

Festival,  Mohammedan,  ......  162 

Fines  and  Fees,  . • 185 

Food, 39 

Ganges,  Sacred  River,  .......  205 

Ganges,  Dying  by  the, 205 

Ghangs, 23 

Ghost  Story, 194 

Ghosts, 22 

Heat,  ..........  51 

Henna,  The,  .........  38 

Hindoo  Festivals,  ........  158 

Hook-swinging,  ........  130 

Idolatry,  Decrease  of,  ......  . 166 

India,  Extent  of,  ........  10 

India,  Heat  of,  . . . . . . . .51 

India,  Languages  of, 11,  15,  16 

India,  Name  of, 13 


INDEX. 


213 


PAGE 

India,  Mohammedan  Invasion  of, 12 

India,  Population  of, 14-16 

India,  Rains  of,  ........  52 

Jelly,  Nice, 95 

Juggernaut,  . . . . . . . . .165 

Katamarans,  . . . . . . . . .17 

Khansamer  and  Cook,  .......  66 

Khurd  Khan,  . . . . ...  . .44 

Lanterns,  the  Feast  of,  . . . . . . .167 

Lizard’s  Eggs,  ........  128 

Madras,  Irrigation  in,  . . . . . . .42 

Madras,  Life  at,  . . . . . . . .17 

Man,  Dying,  . . . . . . ' . . . 192 

Mark,  The  God’s,  ........  37 

Men,  Thinking,  ........  168 

Moorghees,  .........  75 

Mosquitoes,  127 

Oil,  Rubbings  with, 25 

Palkee  Ghang,  ........  23 

Parrots,  The  Hindoo’s, 119 

Paun,  ..........  38 

Pollution,  .........  159 

Poor,  Huts  of  the, 58 

Procession,  A Bridal,  .......  107 

Punkahs,  .........  43 


Rains,  . 

Reptiles  and  Insects, 


. 52 

. 120 


214 


INDEX. 


PAGE 

Satan’s  Fall,  Mohammedan  Idea  of,  . . . . 151 

Scavengers, 114 

School,  A Boys’, 77 

Sermon,  A Good, 155 

Servants,  ........  62,  72,  88 

Shoes, 63 

Shopping, 82 

Sickness, 74 

Siva  and  Holy  Man, 31 

Snakes,  . . ' . . . . . . . .71 

Stimulants  and  Drinks,  . . . . . .34 

Superstitions, 192 

Talipot  Tree, 41 

Temple  near  Madras, 30 

Tiffin 69 

Tippoo  Sahib’s  Descendants, 64 

Toddy, 26 

Toilet, 61 

Traders,  Cabul,  ........  86 

Tradition, 40 

Trick,  A Cruel, 98 

Tuckoo  Mah,  ........  73 

Vermin,  The,  . . . . • . . .117 

Washermen,  .........  68 

W ater-carrier, 62 

Weddings,  ........  107,  109 

Weitbreck,  Rev.  Mr., 149 

Works  not  Faith,  ........  154 


Zenana, A 


55 


»** . 


I ' 


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